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
Two days after orchestrating a blowout semifinal win over Arizona with secret lobs off the backboard, Cadeau had to help compensate for Lendeborg, the Big Ten Player of the Year and leading scorer, who was hobbled by a left leg injury.
—
Justin Williams, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
With 37 seconds left in the game, Ball got some help from the backboard, making a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-63 for the Wolverines.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
In a twist of coaching genius, May instructed Cadeau to bounce the ball high off the backboard as a way to get it to 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, who was dealing with Arizona's 7-4 Motiejus Krivas for much of the evening.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
May had instructed Cadeau to use the backboard to pass the ball to Mara, to work around Arizona’s own 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backboard
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Justin Williams, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
With 37 seconds left in the game, Ball got some help from the backboard, making a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-63 for the Wolverines.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
In a twist of coaching genius, May instructed Cadeau to bounce the ball high off the backboard as a way to get it to 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, who was dealing with Arizona's 7-4 Motiejus Krivas for much of the evening.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
May had instructed Cadeau to use the backboard to pass the ball to Mara, to work around Arizona’s own 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backboard
Cite this Entry
“Backboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backboard. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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