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
David M. Oshinsky
backstopped; backstopping; backstops
2
: to serve as a backstop to
3
: to play the position of goalkeeper for
backstop a hockey team
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
Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The rookie came out of nowhere to seize the starting catching job and established himself as one of the top all-around backstops in the game.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Brad Plumer, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
In that deal, Google also agreed to backstop a decade-long Fluidstack contract to buy capacity.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstop
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Noun
The two went 1-for-8, with the lone hit being a ninth-inning single by the backstop.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The rookie came out of nowhere to seize the starting catching job and established himself as one of the top all-around backstops in the game.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
More nuclear power could help backstop renewables and displace coal.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
In that deal, Google also agreed to backstop a decade-long Fluidstack contract to buy capacity.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstop
Cite this Entry
“Backstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstop. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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