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

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

Even without the full back story, I knew its true provenance was my mom’s purse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Only later was a back story of justification added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

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

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

The former MP also has a compelling back story.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

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