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
Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the NACHA is a complex electronic payments system operating invisibly in the background of much of the nation’s economic activity.
—
Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 17 May 2024
An article on Monday about the mystery setting in the background of the Mona Lisa misstated the surface that Leonardo da Vinci used for the painting.
—New York Times, 16 May 2024
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard speaks of a silent despair in the background of our lives, a sense of discord or dread of an unknown something that can grab us momentarily.
—Maria Balaska, TIME, 12 May 2024
At one point, Swift was picked up off the ground and forced to change on stage as circus-type music played in the background.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 9 May 2024
No law enforcement officers are seen in the video, but some voices in the background of the video can be heard.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 9 May 2024
In the clip, sirens are heard in the background as Caesar peers out a window in a building high above a city street below.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024
Illustration in the background: Preparatory model for the creation of Victoria Abril’s costume in Kika by Pedro Almodovar, February 9, 1993.
—Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 4 May 2024
Unlike his previous livestream, no gunshots or sirens can be heard in the background.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 17 May 2024
An article on Monday about the mystery setting in the background of the Mona Lisa misstated the surface that Leonardo da Vinci used for the painting.
—New York Times, 16 May 2024
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard speaks of a silent despair in the background of our lives, a sense of discord or dread of an unknown something that can grab us momentarily.
—Maria Balaska, TIME, 12 May 2024
At one point, Swift was picked up off the ground and forced to change on stage as circus-type music played in the background.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 9 May 2024
No law enforcement officers are seen in the video, but some voices in the background of the video can be heard.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 9 May 2024
In the clip, sirens are heard in the background as Caesar peers out a window in a building high above a city street below.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024
Illustration in the background: Preparatory model for the creation of Victoria Abril’s costume in Kika by Pedro Almodovar, February 9, 1993.
—Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 4 May 2024
Unlike his previous livestream, no gunshots or sirens can be heard in the background.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the background.' 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 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 23 May. 2024.
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