backstory

noun

back·​story ˈbak-ˌstȯr-ē 

: a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot (as of a film)

Examples of backstory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The backstory In the late 1800s, the property was home to the El Carmelo Hotel, later renamed the Pacific Grove Hotel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026

Antosca gave Lewis a three-page backstory for Crystal, only some of which made it on screen. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026

The backstory Moses and Peters were two strangers from two different walks of life who first met in Philadelphia's Schuylkill River on July 10th. — Liz Crawford, CBS News, 31 July 2026

The backstory for his character was an undead electronic music producer who came back from crashing his Ferrari in order to keep making sick beats. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for backstory

• aurore
• forbore
• outlawry
• pylori
• savoury
• signori
• signory
• vainglory
• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory