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
The full moon hovered in the background over Biscayne Bay.
—
Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
There’s also an argument for streaming services to make money off of low-budget, (often old) content streamed idly in the background.
—Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2025
The Nissan logo appears on a smartphone screen, and in the background, the Honda Motor Company logo is visible in this illustration photo in Reno, United States, on December 26, 2024.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025
The performer was not televised (though the flag did faintly appear in the background of other shots) but was chased off the car by another person before being tackled by three men in suits.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for in the background 
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Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
There’s also an argument for streaming services to make money off of low-budget, (often old) content streamed idly in the background.
—Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2025
The Nissan logo appears on a smartphone screen, and in the background, the Honda Motor Company logo is visible in this illustration photo in Reno, United States, on December 26, 2024.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025
The performer was not televised (though the flag did faintly appear in the background of other shots) but was chased off the car by another person before being tackled by three men in suits.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 10 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 2025.
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