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
In a video posted on Beyoncé's Instagram revealing the news, a sign hanging over a desert floor in the night sky lights up repeatedly with the words 'COWBOY CARTER TOUR' in big bright block letters as an electrical hum and wind is heard in the background.
—
Escher Walcott, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Emergency personnel work near the site of the crash, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed in the Potomac River, U.S. January 30, 2025.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
The five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper revealed that his family is growing by posting a humorous video that opens with Davis standing by a pool and sipping on a beer, as the theme song to the TV series Full House plays in the background.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2025
In Johanne Sacrebleu there are mimes constantly in the background and inexplicable rat plushies that pop up out of nowhere (homage, of course, to cinematic hero Remy of Ratatouille fame).
—James Factora, Them, 29 Jan. 2025
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Escher Walcott, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Emergency personnel work near the site of the crash, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed in the Potomac River, U.S. January 30, 2025.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
The five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper revealed that his family is growing by posting a humorous video that opens with Davis standing by a pool and sipping on a beer, as the theme song to the TV series Full House plays in the background.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2025
In Johanne Sacrebleu there are mimes constantly in the background and inexplicable rat plushies that pop up out of nowhere (homage, of course, to cinematic hero Remy of Ratatouille fame).
—James Factora, Them, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for in the background
Dictionary Entries Near 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 8 Feb. 2025.
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