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.

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

Combining SpaceX and Tesla was also reportedly floated by Musk and his executives — but that could be put on the back burner.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 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

Raj: Our personal lives were completely on the back burner for three years before this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

Another oddity was my discovery, one afternoon, of a large copper pot bubbling on the back burner of the stove, a peculiar smell emanating from it.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt