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
Madissen plans to continue sharing videos of her husband's progress online, as well as insight into their life and backstory.
—
Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Annie Hall, from 1977, is unthinkable without Keaton, in large part because Allen based the character around her backstory.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
But the film plays so coy with its backstory, offering it in dribs and drabs, that its initial emotional tension soon turns vaporous and phony.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Candy’s backstory — the trauma of his father’s early death, tackling his mental health issues — was hardly talked about, if at all, during the 1970s and 80s, but those issues are openly discussed today.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
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Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Annie Hall, from 1977, is unthinkable without Keaton, in large part because Allen based the character around her backstory.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
But the film plays so coy with its backstory, offering it in dribs and drabs, that its initial emotional tension soon turns vaporous and phony.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Candy’s backstory — the trauma of his father’s early death, tackling his mental health issues — was hardly talked about, if at all, during the 1970s and 80s, but those issues are openly discussed today.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstory
Cite this Entry
“Backstory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstory. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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