on the back burner

idiom

chiefly US
: in the position of something that will not receive immediate attention and action
She put her singing career on the back burner to pursue her dream of being a movie star.

Examples of on the back burner in a Sentence

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In a global world of imitations and synthetics, fast fashion needs to take a seat on the back burner, and the fashion industry needs to return to the spotlight the use of natural materials that have worked from the dawn of time. Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 3 Dec. 2025 In the meantime, the decision to keep the Section 301 tariffs on the back burner comes as pricing for many PC graphics cards has somewhat normalized. PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025 But others, like the redesign and improvements of Douglas Road, are now on the back burner. Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 15 Nov. 2025 Nonetheless, the Lakers have the star power to hold their own, even with James on the back burner. Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for on the back burner

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Cite this Entry

“On the back burner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20back%20burner. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

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