backdrop
Americannoun
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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.
Etymology
Origin of backdrop
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.
Against that backdrop, Apple —Qualcomm’s top customer—is poised to gain market share with its strong memory supply chain and new cheaper iPhones.
From Barron's
Allen-Reynolds of Capital Economics said that the economic backdrop in 2022 -- with loose monetary and fiscal policy combined with an energy shock and supply constraints -- was different to that today.
From Barron's
The U.S. is an oil exporter, but could still face inflation pressures and uncertainty around the rate backdrop this year.
From MarketWatch
Amid the backdrop of heavy spending, the company’s AI effort is a “show me” story that has yet to pan out.
From Barron's
Amid the backdrop of heavy spending, the company’s AI effort is a “show me” story that has yet to pan out.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
