Definition of backdoor draft
US
: the recall of military personnel to active duty or the extension of active military duty beyond the originally contracted time in order to maintain troop strength
The Guard and the Reserve have been turned into almost active duty, and you have what is a backdoor draft that has been put into effect.— John Kerry, quoted in Federal News Service, 2 June 2004
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about backdoor draft
Dictionary Entries near backdoor draft
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for backdoor draft
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Backdoor draft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backdoor%20draft. Accessed 6 May. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Comments on backdoor draft
What made you want to look up backdoor draft? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Star Wars Words Quiz
-
- The bounty portion of bounty hunters (such as Boba Fett) comes from a Latin word meaning
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share backdoor draft
Time Traveler for backdoor draft
The first known use of backdoor draft was in 2003
See more words from the same year