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
Recent Examples on the Web
This phase can feel like a personal new year, so if a few of those resolutions got left on the back burner, consider this a sign from the Sun to move them back onto the heat.
—
Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024
After the Cold War, the absence of great-power competition placed the Antarctic question on the back burner of global affairs.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
At the time, Heughan — who had been spotted kissing model Monika Clarke days earlier — denied putting romance on the back burner to prioritize his career.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024
Max Kim | Los Angeles Times (TNS) SEOUL, South Korea — Faced with other more pressing developments in Ukraine and Gaza, the Biden administration has largely kept the threat of North Korea’s nuclear program on the back burner.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for on the back burner 
Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024
After the Cold War, the absence of great-power competition placed the Antarctic question on the back burner of global affairs.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
At the time, Heughan — who had been spotted kissing model Monika Clarke days earlier — denied putting romance on the back burner to prioritize his career.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024
Max Kim | Los Angeles Times (TNS) SEOUL, South Korea — Faced with other more pressing developments in Ukraine and Gaza, the Biden administration has largely kept the threat of North Korea’s nuclear program on the back burner.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for on the back burner
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the back burner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on the back burner
Cite this Entry
“On the back burner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20back%20burner. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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