in the background

phrase

: in a position that avoids attracting attention

He was a shy man who always tried to keep/stay in the background.

Examples of in the background in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The show starts with bombing in the background, kaboom, and a discussion among them about what to do. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026

Brandin Podziemski attended several recent summer league practices and worked out in the background. — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 31 July 2026

It's been raining on and off throughout the day in Grant Park, with music continuing to play in the background. — Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 31 July 2026

So kudos to the extras who steal scenes from them in the background, flailing like avant-garde dancers when a vicious mental parasite leaps from grandmothers to joggers to security guards on a quest to find something awful. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Rhymes for in the background

• abound
• aground
• around
• astound
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground
• foreground