backstop
Americannoun
-
a wall, wire screen, or the like, serving to prevent a ball from going too far beyond the normal playing area.
-
Baseball. the catcher.
-
a person or thing that serves as a support, safeguard, or reinforcement.
There were technicians on board as backstops to the automated controls.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
sport a screen or fence to prevent balls leaving the playing area
-
a block or catch to prevent excessive backward movement, such as one on the sliding seat of a rowing boat
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of backstop
Explanation
In baseball, a backstop is the wall or fence behind home plate that keeps the ball on the playing field. If the batter hits the ball into the backstop, it's a foul ball. When a softball player is up at bat, the backstop is behind her. Part of the backstop's purpose is to keep players and spectators from getting hurt by foul balls or bats that players toss after hitting the ball. You can also use the word backstop to describe a thing or a person that stands behind something, offering reinforcement or support. The earliest use of the word, in 1819, is from cricket.
Vocabulary lists containing backstop
Baseball in April
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Race to the Sun
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In the past, courts have supplied this important backstop in other widespread policy challenges, such as the public health threats of tobacco use and the opioid epidemic, that lacked adequate legislative or regulatory responses.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
Nvidia looks to insurers to backstop AI chip loans, spread compute financing risk.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
This is an example of how a trusted contact on a financial account can be a backstop against elder fraud.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
They might be even higher if not for a potential backstop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Your exercise will take place on the triangular yard outside the unit—thirty yards by twenty yards by twenty yards, with a mural of wildlife hung above the basketball backstop.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
That’s a particular concern for Nvidia, which has backstopped customers to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
“Never before in this City’s history has a private organization been backstopped by the city of Los Angeles to carry out an endeavor of this size and scale,” Mejia wrote to LA28.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Google has backstopped Fluidstack’s data-center leases, helping bring down those projects’ borrowing costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
"The market firmly bought into Wednesday's solid earnings story from the hyperscalers, with risk appetite also backstopped by the broader path on the geopolitical front continuing to lead towards de-escalation," said Pepperstone's Michael Brown.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
Multiple Democratic- and Republican-run states, as well as Native American tribes, declared emergencies and backstopped tens of millions of dollars for food payments, while acknowledging that that still wouldn’t suffice.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025
Warner’s board told shareholders to reject Paramount’s bid last week, citing concerns that the Ellisons weren’t fully backstopping the financing.
From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025
In recent calls with U.S. officials, European officials have stressed that they can only offer Ukraine clear security commitments once they know what role the U.S. would play in backstopping those plans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
How the U.S. government is backstopping the tech boom.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2025
The settlement resolved a dispute over the amount of new stock that Cineworld's lenders would receive for backstopping the exit financing.
From Reuters ● May 2, 2023
With Darrow doing most of the backstopping, and Larson ready to fill in any moment he’s needed, you’re going to keep a five-thousand-dollar catcher on the bench for a pinch hitter!
From Lefty Locke Pitcher-Manager by Burt L. Standish
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.
