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

Our current backboard is cracked and glued back and the supporting base has multiple huge cracks, the days are numbered for my current hoop. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026

To the gasp of a rowdy Memphis crowd, the Philadelphia 76ers star threw the ball off the backboard to himself and tried to finish with a dunk. —Tony Jones, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026

Forcing the opposing center away from the backboard creates space for our players to drive unimpeded to the basket. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026

Embiid tried to chase Brown down for a block, but the ball had already touched the backboard when the Nuggets' nemesis got to it. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026

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