backdrop

noun

back·​drop ˈbak-ˌdräp 

1

: a painted cloth hung across the rear of a stage

2

: background

backdrop transitive verb

Synonyms of backdrop

• background

Examples of backdrop in a Sentence

The mountains provided a perfect backdrop for the wedding photos.

The novel unfolds against a backdrop of war.

The city provides the backdrop for the love story.

Recent Examples on the Web

That comes against a backdrop of rising borrowing costs globally. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026

Bulgarians voted against a backdrop of growing economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping, which have left several sailors dead or missing. — Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026

The budgetary backdrop for the county and the city has changed dramatically since most of the existing labor arrangements were negotiated in the hyperinflationary period immediately following the pandemic. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

This tension has given rise to a subgenre of Hong Kong horror films in which high-density housing is a spooky backdrop for exploring superstition and socioeconomic anxieties. — Hari Raj, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for backdrop

• atop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop
• bookshop
• clatsop
• desktop
• eavesdrop
• estop
• hardtop
• hilltop
• laptop

Kids Definition

backdrop

noun

back·​drop ˈbak-ˌdräp 

1

: a painted cloth hung across the rear of a stage

2

: background sense 1, 3a