back burner

NOUN

reduced priority

Synonyms

WEAK

abeyance cold storage limbo suspension

Antonyms

WEAK

front burner

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.

“Today’s signal: that’s on the back burner now, not that it’s ever gotten off the ground,” Haines said in a note.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Those who were thinking about the parties' green policies said they feared climate change had been "put on the back burner".

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

But Epstein talk has definitely been on the back burner in recent weeks, with the war in Iran especially taking precedence.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

The results highlight the tough road ahead for Tesla as Musk tries to turn the focus to the company’s artificial intelligence and robotics strategies, putting the electric vehicle business on the back burner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Mama Ya-Ya gets up, and picks up the pot of scalded milk from the stove’s back burner.

From "Ninth Ward" by Jewell Parker Rhodes