in the background
idiom
: 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
Another caller, this one confused and frantic, explained that their cabins were flooding while terrified voices and screams echoed in the background.
—
Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
In the footage, McPhee Foster, 41, can be seen flaunting her en pointe skills as her husband David Foster plays piano in the background.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
In the some of the conversations, Walshe’s children can be heard playing in the background while their father calmly explained the circumstances surrounding his wife’s disappearance.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
One photograph shows a library with four armchairs facing each other and a blackboard in the background.
—Richard Hall, Time, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
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Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
In the footage, McPhee Foster, 41, can be seen flaunting her en pointe skills as her husband David Foster plays piano in the background.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
In the some of the conversations, Walshe’s children can be heard playing in the background while their father calmly explained the circumstances surrounding his wife’s disappearance.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
One photograph shows a library with four armchairs facing each other and a blackboard in the background.
—Richard Hall, Time, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
Cite this Entry
“In the background.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20background. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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