back story

British

noun

the events which take place before, and which help to bring about, the events portrayed in a film

"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

Example Sentences

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back story

The British press went to town with tale after tale, which gradually picked apart Arday’s at times fantastical back story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Jason Arday resigned from the University of Cambridge following allegations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in his back story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

With his gravelly voice, scruffy appearance and working-class back story, he gained a passionate following both in Maine and nationally.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Each player has their own individual back story, but Hantuchova believes there is a shared mentality which helps players from those countries to defy the odds against them.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Wellington’s back story is another Boston tangled tale External link.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023