backdrop
Americannoun
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backdrops
plural
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especially British, back-cloth. Theater. the rear curtain of a stage setting.
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the background of an event; setting.
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Gymnastics. a maneuver in which a trampolinist jumps in the air, lands on the back with the arms and legs pointed upward, and then springs up to a standing position.
verb (used with object)
noun
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another name for backcloth
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the background to any scene or situation
Usage
What does backdrop mean? Backdrop refers to the background or setting of a situation or event. It can refer to something physically located in the background of something else, such as a backdrop used for a photo shoot. It can also be used figuratively to refer to circumstances that surround an event, as in a backdrop of scandal and accusations of fraud. More specifically, a backdrop is the curtain that hangs at the back of the stage in a theater, as in We have to fix the rips in the backdrop before the big show. Less commonly, backdrop can also be used as a verb to mean providing a background for something, as in The towering trees backdropped the outdoor photo shoot. Example: The film took place against the backdrop of World War II and featured major events from the war.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of backdrop
Explanation
A backdrop is the scenery that hangs behind the actors in a play. You might help to paint the backdrop for your school's production of "The Sound of Music." The backdrop is an important part of a theater production, since it provides a setting for a play or sets a mood for a musical performance. If you're watching a local version of "Oliver!" the backdrop might be designed to look like a London street scene, for example. The noun backdrop comes from US theater slang, from a combination of back and drop around 1913.
Vocabulary lists containing backdrop
Drama
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Awkward
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Theater - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
The event promises glamour -- replete with champagne-quaffing celebrities -- set against the backdrop of Rwanda's verdant hills and rich wildlife, all broadcast to a global audience.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO—Judi Gorski’s home overlooks one of this city’s newest and most spectacular attractions: a two-mile, car-free stretch of coastal highway where visitors bike, skateboard and stroll against a backdrop of crashing waves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
That backdrop has led some younger adults to chase audacious bets in the market, while others have adopted a “carpe diem” lifestyle where their earnings help support travel and experiences instead of savings.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Against that backdrop, Megacauda sungei was unusually large.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
On the screen is a school portrait, a blue backdrop with an American flag on one side.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
He noted that AT&T investors have been concerned about a number of issues this year, including more competitive backdrops for both wireless and internet service.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
The artificiality isn’t just about painted backdrops and CGI mobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
In the posts that followed, Modi's team appeared to respond to some of that criticism, experimenting with different camera angles, backdrops and lighting.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
You can see their devotion in outdoor backdrops that are deliriously false, in sight gags that reference Cronenberg and Carpenter or in production design that includes the perfect nostalgic ’90s video store carpet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Photographic blowups of Fischer and Spassky adorned the windows of almost every shop, with black-and-white checkered displays serving as backdrops for huge papier-mâché chess pieces.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
“It’s the corner of the business with momentum tailwinds, backdropped by AI’s insatiable appetite for energy.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2025
Under a blanket of low-lying clouds, backdropped by the imposing pinnacle of Mount Verstovia, the concept for Windward hit her: A perfectly cooked meal in a pristine natural setting is restorative, even transformative.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
In Early August, my partner and I were awakened by a loud alarm on his phone: “Earthquake alert, earthquake alert,” the phone warned with escalating intensity, backdropped by a soundtrack of fake sirens.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2022
“Maybe they’re taking biometrics, but you need biometrics taken beforehand that you can compare them to,” Johnson said at a news conference backdropped by the gates of the fort.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 28, 2021
Jam looked at her reflection, backdropped by the creature, then wiped her hands over her face.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
Frank tapped L.A. painter Jessalyn Brooks to paint a colorful mural on the cinderblock wall backdropping the pool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2024
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
