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 backdrop to this election has been one of tension, dissatisfaction, and fear.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
But they do so against a backdrop of change.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Against this backdrop, market makers have been reporting heavy and aggressive buying in Treasury futures, said Mike Lorizio, head of U.S. rates and mortgage trading at Manulife Investment Management.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Italy’s Prada 1913 -1.73%decrease; down pointing triangle reported a deceleration in sales growth against what it called a particularly challenging industry backdrop, as luxury companies struggle to spark renewed demand for high-end goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Everything else is a faded backdrop to that.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
Protests have continued off and on, and densely-populated Haredi areas are often the backdrops for confrontation with the security forces.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
He pioneered the technique of glazed terracotta, producing reliefs featuring white figures set against blue backdrops whose lustrous surfaces and rich hues gave color a new role in sculpture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Some backdrops were creepy set dressing, while others had tactile brutality — Sphere often had the rumble-seat effect blaring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Hilton said he did a lot of his production work outside, as there are a variety of luxurious backdrops ideal for his commentary.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Clara found a ball of thick twine, the same that had been used to bind the rolled-up backdrops and sections of carpet that had been propped against one wall.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
“It’s the corner of the business with momentum tailwinds, backdropped by AI’s insatiable appetite for energy.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2025
By the time about 20 minutes later when the sound managed to grow a notch more, it backdropped the clinching of Morocco’s cherished 2-0 win over favored Belgium, FIFA’s second-ranked team.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 27, 2022
Phil Manzanera, the 71-year-old guitarist for art-rock pioneers Roxy Music, is leaning into a computer camera backdropped by a nondescript hotel room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2022
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
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.
