backstory
noun
back·story
ˈbak-ˌstȯr-ē 
: a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot (as of a film)
Examples of backstory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Executives want signposts as big as billboards—ideally, a new drama will, in its first five minutes, present viewers with a dead body; a clear, trauma-dependent backstory for the protagonist; and fully articulated narrative and thematic stakes for every plot point to come.
—
Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
This cut backstory explains the most intriguing relationship in Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’: Stars Jess Hong and Rosalind Chao discuss why the Chinese Cultural Revolution is vital to Netflix’s sci-fi adaptation and reveal part of their characters’ backstory that ended up getting cut.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The backstory Foster worked in the corporate world as an engineer for 22 years before becoming a franchise business owner.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024
A lot of people have been talking about the backstory — or lack thereof — to the onscreen civil war, and how Texas and California came to team up.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
John Legend has explained the heartbreaking backstory behind his family’s new pet bird, Audrey.
—Sara Vallone, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
The film will delve into the backstory of Imperator Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy in this movie, and Charlize Theron in 2015’s Fury Road.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024
And then in terms of how much to reveal in Savannah’s backstory regarding her mom, there were just some really brutal choices that had to be made in terms of serving the forward momentum of the show.
—Caroline Brew, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
Each episode explores the backstory of a different family member, dropping clues and red herrings aplenty on what what is going on with Joy and Stan (Sam Neill) and why their adult children (Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, Conor Merrigan Turner and Essie Randles) are so friggin’ self-absorbed and entitled.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
This cut backstory explains the most intriguing relationship in Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’: Stars Jess Hong and Rosalind Chao discuss why the Chinese Cultural Revolution is vital to Netflix’s sci-fi adaptation and reveal part of their characters’ backstory that ended up getting cut.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The backstory Foster worked in the corporate world as an engineer for 22 years before becoming a franchise business owner.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024
A lot of people have been talking about the backstory — or lack thereof — to the onscreen civil war, and how Texas and California came to team up.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
John Legend has explained the heartbreaking backstory behind his family’s new pet bird, Audrey.
—Sara Vallone, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
The film will delve into the backstory of Imperator Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy in this movie, and Charlize Theron in 2015’s Fury Road.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024
And then in terms of how much to reveal in Savannah’s backstory regarding her mom, there were just some really brutal choices that had to be made in terms of serving the forward momentum of the show.
—Caroline Brew, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
Each episode explores the backstory of a different family member, dropping clues and red herrings aplenty on what what is going on with Joy and Stan (Sam Neill) and why their adult children (Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, Conor Merrigan Turner and Essie Randles) are so friggin’ self-absorbed and entitled.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backstory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Backstory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstory. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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