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
As a region’s personnel and resources shift towards managing the disaster in an all-hands-on-deck approach, routine medical care can get placed on the back burner.
—
Henna Hundal, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
So sometimes, that requires putting ourselves on the back burner.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2024
Even without financial struggles, moms so often put themselves, their wants, and their needs on the back burner.
—Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 30 Sep. 2024
However, music is hardly left on the back burner on Kindergarten: The Musical, as the name suggests.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for on the back burner 
Henna Hundal, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
So sometimes, that requires putting ourselves on the back burner.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2024
Even without financial struggles, moms so often put themselves, their wants, and their needs on the back burner.
—Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 30 Sep. 2024
However, music is hardly left on the back burner on Kindergarten: The Musical, as the name suggests.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
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 5 Nov. 2024.
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