backstage

1 of 2

adjective

back·​stage ˈbak-ˌstāj 

1

: of, relating to, or occurring in the area behind the stage and especially in the dressing rooms

2

: of or relating to the private lives of theater people

3

: of or relating to the inner working or operation (as of an organization)

backstage

2 of 2

adverb

back·​stage ˈbak-ˈstāj 

1

: in or to a backstage area

2

: in private : secretly

Synonyms

Adverb

• privately
• confidentially
• in private
• secretly

Examples of backstage in a Sentence

Adverb

After the show, we went backstage to meet the band.

some of the most important decisions were made backstage, and only presented to the full committee afterward

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As The Judgment Day benefited from the numbers game, Iyo Sky made the save and attacked Liv, who had another backstage moment with Iyo earlier in the night. —Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

The backstage safari pass ($59.99) allows guests to interact with exotic animals. —Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 25 May 2025

Adverb

After the show, students gather backstage, hugging and celebrating. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 July 2025

For us, those artists playing in the venue, their managers backstage, their agents booking those shows, those are all our clients or potential clients. —Molly Davis, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing backstage

• backstage pass

Rhymes for backstage

• assuage
• bocage
• downstage
• engage
• enrage
• leafage
• messuage
• offstage
• onstage
• outrage
• pelage
• prophage

Kids Definition

backstage

adverb or adjective

back·​stage

ˈbak-ˈstāj

: in or to an area behind the stage of a theater