backstop
Americannoun
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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
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sport a screen or fence to prevent balls leaving the playing area
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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
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Race to the Sun
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Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!
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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:
When the president requires an emotional backstop and perhaps a bit of reining in, the first gentleman exercises his own version of diplomacy.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
"Benefits will become the backstop, not the starting point," Burnham wrote in his piece published in Monday's paper.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Unfortunately it would not be financially viable for Hyroad to backstop Nikola’s warranties for vehicles already sold,” a company spokesperson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
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
Dad had enough gall to be divided into three parts, and the ability and poise to backstop the front he placed before the world.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
“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
OpenAI has signed a lease for the project, backstopped by a commitment from Nvidia to take it over if OpenAI defaults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Google, for instance, has backstopped some data centers for Anthropic, in part to increase sales of its in-house AI chips, known as tensor processing units.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
In 2020, they backstopped money market mutual funds.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 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
Larger technology companies have started backstopping deals with AI startups to help them secure access.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
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
The Avalanche’s challengers in the Central range from the Stars to the Minnesota Wild, who still have Marc-Andre Fleury backstopping them and a couple of dynamic scorers in Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 3, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
