backstop

1 of 2

noun

back·​stop ˈbak-ˌstäp 

plural backstops

1

: something at the back serving as a stop: such as

a

: a screen or fence for keeping a ball from leaving the field of play

b

: a stop (such as a pawl) that prevents a backward movement (as of a wheel)

2

: a player (such as the catcher) positioned behind the batter

3

: something or someone that provides dependable support or protection against failure or loss

As the cold war heated up, Hoover became the country's backstop against subversion.

—David M. Oshinsky

backstop

2 of 2

verb

backstopped; backstopping; backstops

transitive verb

1

: support, bolster

2

: to serve as a backstop to

3

: to play the position of goalkeeper for

backstop a hockey team

Synonyms

Verb

• aid
• assist
• help
• support

Examples of backstop in a Sentence

Noun

The pitch got past the catcher and rolled all the way to the backstop.

kept some gold as a backstop in case the value of the local currency collapsed

Verb

the Nobel-winning geneticist was of course backstopped in his research by a team of highly talented assistants

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Naylor the Younger’s still in Cleveland, though, and still mostly a glove-first backstop. —Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025

Over the last three seasons, Bailey has been the best at turning strikes into a wide margin, leading all backstops with 64 Catcher Framing Runs. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025

Verb

In that deal, Google also agreed to backstop a decade-long Fluidstack contract to buy capacity. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025

If finalized, procuring M109A7s would transform Taiwan’s ground firepower and backstop its rocket and missile capabilities. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for backstop

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

Kids Definition

backstop

noun

back·​stop

ˈbak-ˌstäp

1

: a screen or fence to keep a ball from leaving the field of play

2

: a baseball catcher