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:
Nvidia is in talks to provide a roughly $250 billion financial backstop for OpenAI to lease a massive data center project in Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Google has agreed to backstop some data-center deals to help Anthropic access its TPUs, for instance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I do think the U.S. government will backstop some of these companies in a dire situation, perhaps in exchange for equity,” Wallerstein said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
It'll be a backstop for many, but the minimum contribution rate is unlikely to be enough for a comfortable retirement.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
I’m supposed to use this time to make my own notes on the radio interview yesterday—as a kind of backstop in case the actual broadcast doesn’t match up with what v.L. remembers of it.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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 2020, they backstopped money market mutual funds.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
Paramount said its deal will be fully backstopped by the Ellison family and RedBird Capital, along with $54 billion of debt commitments from Bank of America, Citi and Apollo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 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
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
"I'll let that do most of the backstopping."
From Rival Pitchers of Oakdale by Scott, Morgan
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.
