backstop

[ bak-stop ]

/ ˈbækˌstɒp /

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noun

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), back·stopped, back·stop·ping.

to act as a backstop.

verb (used with object), back·stopped, back·stop·ping.

to act as a backstop to: The government agreed to backstop companies that invested in oil exploration.

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Origin of backstop

First recorded in 1810–20; back¹ + stop

OTHER WORDS FROM backstop

backstopper, noun

Words nearby backstop

back staff, backstage, backstairs, backstay, backstitch, backstop, backstory, back straight, backstrap loom, back street, backstretch

How to use backstop in a sentence

Instead, it calls on government to act as a backstop through incentives that will lead to job creation and provide greater access to the safety net while expanding things like universal pre-kindergarten and childcare.
Sacramento Report: We Have a Schools Deal|Voice of San Diego|March 5, 2021|Voice of San Diego
It paid for a backstop and dugouts at a neighborhood Little League field.
Domino Sugar is replacing its massive neon landmark in Baltimore — and hopes no one will notice a difference|Colin Campbell|February 7, 2021|Washington Post
The government is going to be putting a backstop on certain parts of the economy.
Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq, on the Red-Hot Market and Critics of Her Diversity Plan|Eben Shapiro|December 13, 2020|Time
Some businesses had been using federal stimulus programs like the CARES Act, passed in March, as a backstop.
Massive Layoffs Are Underway Across the U.S., Threatening the Already Frail Recovery|Emily Barone|October 2, 2020|Time

So without having to actually invest a dollar of taxpayer money, the mere announcement of providing liquidity and a backstop unlocked unprecedented amounts of activity.
How Jay Powell’s Coronavirus Response Is Changing the Fed Forever|Christopher Leonard|June 11, 2020|Time
On the other, you risk ballooning one into the backstop in front of 50,000 people.
Viral Video of the Day: Chrissy Teigen's Drunken Dodger Pitch|Jack Holmes|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After the corporate split, the paper will no longer have blockbuster movies to backstop it.
New York Post Looks Thinner After News Corporation Split|David Freedlander|July 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It could serve as a backstop for Mitt, bringing him over the top at the last possible moment.
The GOP’s Chaotic Primary Calendar Makes Early Nomination Clinch Tough|John Avlon|February 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And Perry thinks TARP was a total mistake—along with all subsequent efforts to backstop or stimulate the economy.
Perry’s Entitlement Problem|Andrew Romano|August 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
She was out of the cell before it hit the backstop and following me down the hall towards her brother's room.
Highways in Hiding|George Oliver Smith
Each time one sailed away over the backstop, it was like the pop of a safety-valve; it averted an explosion.
The Voice in the Fog|Harold MacGrath
The backstop was built up of earth and was soft enough so that the pins would not splinter on striking it.
Castle of Terror|E.J. Liston
He began to turn its center dial, at first a quarter circle, and then all the way to the final backstop of the calibration.
The Long Voyage|Carl Richard Jacobi
Finally, the tenth shot smacked against the backstop and he racked his weapon and punched at the target return button.
The Best Made Plans|Everett B. Cole

British Dictionary definitions for backstop

backstop

/ (ˈbækˌstɒp) /

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 -stops, -stopping or -stopped (tr)

US to provide with backing or support

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

backstop

Origin of backstop

OTHER WORDS FROM backstop

Words nearby backstop

Words related to backstop

How to use backstop in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for backstop