Showing Results for "back story"

back story

British

noun

the events which take place before, and which help to bring about, the events portrayed in a film

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Each player has their own individual back story, but Hantuchova believes there is a shared mentality which helps players from those countries to defy the odds against them.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

A particularly intriguing chapter in Hill's back story is her link to one of the most famous episodes in UFO folklore.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

As a candidate, Fulop had a compelling back story: The Jersey native was the son of Jewish immigrants who ran a deli.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

“Obviously I knew the back story that we all knew, but I strongly believe in second chances, in life and in careers.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

On Thursday, Franco Molina threw in another piece of the Anglo-Argentine back story.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023