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
Bindi's latest Instagram post comes on the heels of a photo that Bindi and Grace recently took while home in Australia at the Australia Zoo, which featured a photo-bombing rhinoceros in the background.
—
Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 23 June 2024
Luxo Ball Deamer acknowledges the yellow Luxo ball, hidden in many Pixar films, is hidden in the background.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 June 2024
That is until Annie Leibovitz photographed an expecting Rihanna in one of the hotel suites for the May 2022 issue—one image from this spread even sees Riri perched on a balcony with a view of the Colonne Vendôme in the background.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 21 June 2024
Wearing glasses or a headscarf or having a bookshelf in the background of a video job interview can skew personality predictions, according to an investigative report by German public broadcast station Bayerischer Rundfunk.
—Calmatters, Orange County Register, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for in the background 
Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 23 June 2024
Luxo Ball Deamer acknowledges the yellow Luxo ball, hidden in many Pixar films, is hidden in the background.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 June 2024
That is until Annie Leibovitz photographed an expecting Rihanna in one of the hotel suites for the May 2022 issue—one image from this spread even sees Riri perched on a balcony with a view of the Colonne Vendôme in the background.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 21 June 2024
Wearing glasses or a headscarf or having a bookshelf in the background of a video job interview can skew personality predictions, according to an investigative report by German public broadcast station Bayerischer Rundfunk.
—Calmatters, Orange County Register, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for in the background
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 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share