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View synonyms for back burner

back burner

noun

  1. a condition of low priority or temporary deferment (usually used in the phraseon the back burner ).

    Put other issues on the back burner until after the election.



back burner

noun

  1. put aside for the time being, as a subject that is not of immediate concern but that may be activated later; postponed

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of back burner1

First recorded in 1945–50; from the custom in cooking of placing pots not requiring immediate attention toward the rear of the stove
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After the 2024 general election, it seemed conversations about the Muslim war memorial were placed on the back burner.

From BBC

The problem is that in a four-party mandatory coalition like Stormont, making those decisions is even more complicated and more often than not, have ended up on the back burner.

From BBC

There he would attack the top of off stump with pace and nip while putting the variations on the back burner, as he would with the red ball.

From BBC

So these topics have gradually receded toward the back burner, along with his genuinely horrifying brainstorm about turning Gaza into a beach resort, without disappearing entirely.

From Salon

The only treatment offered to her was a Mirena coil, and she now feels she has been "put on the back burner" with no further medication.

From BBC

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