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

This new space contrasts a bright, vivid backdrop with dark furnishings, alluding to the brand’s edgy, crisp designs. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

The summit is playing out against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and comes just after deadly Russian strikes on Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv. — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

His trip began against the backdrop of a security saga with Buckingham Palace, and PEOPLE learned that his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would not accompany him to London amid security concerns. — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

Quite macro Part of the fixation on non-fundamental flow and structural drivers reflects a fairly quiet macro backdrop, with near-term economic trends not acting as the prime driver of investor attitudes or even corporate profits. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 7 July 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