From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsee something against something phrasal verbto consider something together with something else The unemployment data must be seen against the background of world recession.Grammar See against is usually passive. → see→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
see against • Although I have not seen it scratch against rocks recently, it does still occasionally gulp air from the surface.• I could see our faces against the dark waters of the river.• But the temptation to intervene grew nevertheless, particularly as I saw things turning against the innocent maidservant.• He saw me standing against the mirror and stopped.• He had seen their silhouette against the night sky.• Rookie Michael Finley, who played every regular-season game, never saw action against the Spurs because of an ankle sprain.• Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries.• In Lonsdale's view, the 1790s saw a reaction against women writers.be seen against the background of• Preservationists such as Camporese and Valadier are seen against the background of the various commissions, and individual buildings' histories are scrutinised. 