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
But in the background, another man who briefly hovered near the staff members briskly walked away to another part of the store.
—
Simon J. Levien, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
The biggest plutocrats of the first Gilded Age, for all their brutalities, played an essentially stabilizing role from behind the scenes—the Cardinal Richelieu role, the wise banker in the background.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Police had received multiple reports of gunshots in the area and at least 10 shots could be heard in the background of one of the 911 calls, Bryan said.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2025
The Levoit Core 300-P clears the air (literally) by filtering out dust, pet hair, smoke, and allergens while running quietly in the background.
—Juhi Wadia, PCMAG, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
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Simon J. Levien, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
The biggest plutocrats of the first Gilded Age, for all their brutalities, played an essentially stabilizing role from behind the scenes—the Cardinal Richelieu role, the wise banker in the background.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Police had received multiple reports of gunshots in the area and at least 10 shots could be heard in the background of one of the 911 calls, Bryan said.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2025
The Levoit Core 300-P clears the air (literally) by filtering out dust, pet hair, smoke, and allergens while running quietly in the background.
—Juhi Wadia, PCMAG, 24 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2025.
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