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
Christian music and the song Volver a casa — Returning Home — by Venezuelan singer Cáceres, played in the background.
—
Gustavo Ocando Alex, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
The launch party represented the essence of the quintessential Puerto Rican bodega, where Latin music plays in the background and shop owners shout directives in Spanglish.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Evenings meant settling by the glowing firepit with chilled wine, swapping stories from the day's adventures while listening to Kenyan music in the background.
—Jenn Rice, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2025
As lava flows and steam rises in the background, a representative of each group steps forward to challenge the other, hurling elaborate insults (in subtitled Hawaiian) at their opponent.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
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Gustavo Ocando Alex, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
The launch party represented the essence of the quintessential Puerto Rican bodega, where Latin music plays in the background and shop owners shout directives in Spanglish.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Evenings meant settling by the glowing firepit with chilled wine, swapping stories from the day's adventures while listening to Kenyan music in the background.
—Jenn Rice, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2025
As lava flows and steam rises in the background, a representative of each group steps forward to challenge the other, hurling elaborate insults (in subtitled Hawaiian) at their opponent.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 July 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 5 Aug. 2025.
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