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 movies, which both star Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, explores the backstory of how the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North came to be.
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Who knows, and who cares, because this cocktail doesn’t need any sort of backstory to earn its legendary status.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Writing is an iceberg sort of art form where only 10% of the work ends up on the page; the other 90% includes excavating each character’s backstory.
—Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
To try drum up interest in Spanish military shirts with unusually short sleeves, the couple created a backstory and followed up with their own catalogue.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstory
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Who knows, and who cares, because this cocktail doesn’t need any sort of backstory to earn its legendary status.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Writing is an iceberg sort of art form where only 10% of the work ends up on the page; the other 90% includes excavating each character’s backstory.
—Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
To try drum up interest in Spanish military shirts with unusually short sleeves, the couple created a backstory and followed up with their own catalogue.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstory
Cite this Entry
“Backstory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstory. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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