backdoor

adjective

back·​door ˈbak-ˈdȯr 

1

: indirect, devious

2

: involving or being a play in basketball in which a player moves behind the defense and toward the basket to receive a quick pass

a backdoor layup

Examples of backdoor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For high-income earners, the backdoor Roth IRA strategy offers an alternative, enabling contributions through a Traditional IRA followed by a Roth conversion. —Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

For example, clients in the U.K. can maximize their U.K. pension contributions (up to £60,000) while also making a backdoor Roth contribution in the U.S., effectively gaining exemptions in both countries. —Brian Dunhill, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

But Taillon didn’t have a good feel for it as the season got underway and instead relied on a backdoor cutter in those spots versus lefties. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025

On one of those chances, credit Kevin Korchinski, who rode Ovechkin’s hip on what looked like a surefire backdoor opportunity for the record-breaker. —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for backdoor

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore
• decor