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
Laughs were heard in the background off-camera as Philipps shook her head in agreement.
—
Angel Saunders, People.com, 21 May 2025
Kiser's TikToks, which show her house in the background, matched closely with the listing's images, leading many to believe the incident happened at her home.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 21 May 2025
My best mates invited me over for a study session one afternoon and had a race on in the background.
—Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 20 May 2025
The video was originally posted by writer Emilie Hagen, who can be heard in the background explaining the scene to her TikTok followers.
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
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Angel Saunders, People.com, 21 May 2025
Kiser's TikToks, which show her house in the background, matched closely with the listing's images, leading many to believe the incident happened at her home.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 21 May 2025
My best mates invited me over for a study session one afternoon and had a race on in the background.
—Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 20 May 2025
The video was originally posted by writer Emilie Hagen, who can be heard in the background explaining the scene to her TikTok followers.
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 19 May 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 2 Jun. 2025.
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