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.
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Baseball. the catcher.
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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:
That appears to be the purpose behind the company’s residual-value backstop for OpenAI’s lease of a huge data center complex being built in Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Nvidia previously considered providing a backstop of $250 billion dollars, according to the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg in July.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Nvidia shares fell 5% after the Journal first reported the discussions of the $250 billion backstop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The city’s negotiating team said L.A.’s political leaders committed the city roughly a decade ago to serve as a financial backstop for the Games, as part of the contract that made L.A. the host city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ben-Ben, Jason, and Luis are sitting on the grass along the first-base line, while the rest of the Renegades, including Webb and Coach Rockford, are behind the backstop.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
California backstopped the federal subsidies for the lowest-income enrollees — mostly those for households earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level, or $23,940 for individuals and $49,500 for a family of four.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
In the traditional model, developers and external investors—often infrastructure funds and banks—took on the risk of developing and constructing the project, with financing backstopped by the creditworthy tech company’s power purchase agreement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
The Senate proposal would also extend $10 million in coverage to credit unions, which have long shared similar deposit insurance limits as banks, albeit backstopped by separate funds.
From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025
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
He backstopped the Kraken’s best run of the season, the only reason they were still in playoff contention.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2024
But backstopping markets removes a key risk and encourages more borrowing—especially for the hedge funds that now own trillions of dollars of U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
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.
