back burner

Meanings

1. 1nounsingularfigurative

   A position of low priority, where something is left aside to be dealt with later while more urgent things get attention.

   Grammar: Almost always used with the and after on: on the back burner.

   Patterns

   • put something on the back burner
   • on the back burner
   • relegate something to the back burner

   We put the kitchen renovation on the back burner when the car broke down.

   Her plans to travel went on the back burner after the baby arrived.

   Climate policy was pushed to the back burner during the crisis.

2. 2nouncountable

   One of the rear rings of a stove, where food is left to cook gently or keep warm.

   Grammar: The literal meaning, now less common than the figurative one.

   Patterns

   • on the back burner
   • leave something on the back burner

   Leave the soup on the back burner so it keeps warm.

   She moved the pot to the back burner to simmer.

   The stew has been on the back burner all afternoon.

Word forms

Common combinations

put on the back burner

Let's put that idea on the back burner until next year.

push to the back burner

Budget cuts pushed the project to the back burner.

remain on the back burner

The proposal has remained on the back burner for months.

relegate to the back burner

Safety concerns were relegated to the back burner.

move to the back burner

He moved his hobby to the back burner while studying.

Synonyms and how they differ

low priority

Low priority is a plain, neutral way to say it and does not carry the sense of intentionally setting something aside.

on hold

On hold suggests a pause with a plan to restart, while back burner suggests it may wait for a long time.

shelved

Shelved suggests a more final decision, with an idea put away and perhaps never revisited.

on ice

On ice is another informal idiom meaning paused, often for a plan kept alive for a later time.

Opposites

Word family

front burner noun

a high-priority position, the opposite of the back burner

burner noun

a part of a stove that produces heat

backburner verb

to postpone something, used informally in American English

Commonly confused: back burner or burner phone?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “back burner”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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