backboard

noun

back·​board ˈbak-ˌbȯrd 

1

: a board placed at or serving as the back of something

especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court which serves to keep missed shots from going out-of-bounds and from which the ball can be made to rebound into the basket

2

: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport

Examples of backboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

James couldn’t find a shot after his torrid stretch, even hitting the side of the backboard with a corner heave with the Lakers down 111-104 with 1:26 left. —Khobi Price, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2025

The Pelicans missed two dunks and hit the side of the backboard on a floater while Jonathan Kuminga missed an easy shot at the rim through contact and Brandin Podziemski passed up a shot at the first-quarter buzzer. —Danny Emerman, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025

Listen to this article Cameron Payne shot two threes off the side of the backboard. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2025

With no timeouts left, that game-deciding possession turned into a frantic last-second 26-foot three-point heave from Adebayo that bounced off the top of the backboard as the final buzzer sounded. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for backboard

• abroad
• applaud
• ballade
• defraud
• ephod
• facade
• guffawed
• outlawed
• ramrod
• roughshod
• slipshod
• tripod

Kids Definition

backboard

noun

back·​board ˈbak-ˌbōrd 

-ˌbȯrd

: a board placed at the back or serving as a back

especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court

Medical Definition

backboard

noun

back·​board -ˌbȯrd 

: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport