backdrop

[bak-drop]

noun

1. especially British, back-cloth. Theater.,  the rear curtain of a stage setting.

2. the background of an event; setting.

3. 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)

backdropped, backdropt, backdropping. 

1. to provide a setting or background for.

   A vast mountain range backdrops the broad expanse of lake.

backdrop

/ ˈbækˌdrɒp /

noun

1. another name for backcloth

2. the background to any scene or situation

Word History and Origins

Origin of backdrop¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; back ¹ + drop

Example Sentences

For example, in 2024 the cost cutting program was halved to 100 million Swiss francs from 200 million francs, which Kuehne + Nagel attributed to inflation and an improving market backdrop, Morgan Stanley says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That backdrop bodes well for Vicor’s licensing business, which receives royalties for licensing patented technology to customers.

Read more on Barron's

The Beyond Meat meme stock surge comes against a backdrop of jitters about an overvalued stock market.

Read more on BBC

But the visit comes against the backdrop of the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew.

Read more on BBC

Buchalter said Texas Instruments’ improving free cash flow “is the cornerstone to our long-term constructive view of the stock,” however, it will “take time and a better backdrop to play out.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• scenery 

When To Use

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.