backgrounds

noun

plural of background
1
as in backdrops
the physical conditions or features that form the setting against which something is viewed they got married on a mountain top with the sunset as background

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in settings
the place and time in which the action for a portion of a dramatic work (as a movie) is set the background of that movie is the World War II era

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of backgrounds Each design was simulated spinning mid-flight and overlaid on 100 real-world backgrounds, then scored by a perceptual model built to mimic human vision, where a lower score meant better camouflage. — New Atlas, 17 July 2026 The two remaining finalists represent a diverse set of backgrounds. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026 Blurred Zoom backgrounds are a particular bug bear for Perel. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 17 July 2026 One example of this in action is supporting sports initiatives that bring together young people from different schools, neighborhoods and backgrounds. — Nick Rogers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Accessibility Apple gave Procreate a Design Award in 2022 for its accessibility features that suit people of diverse backgrounds, physical abilities, and languages. — Shelby Putnam Tupper, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026 The backgrounds of school founders and employees often simply don’t matter. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026 In Broward County alone, more than 2 million people live side by side, representing a striking mix of backgrounds. — Scott Ehrlich, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026 Learning to respect others’ food choices Ultimately, food is a great icebreaker and a way to explore other cultures and backgrounds. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backgrounds
  1. backdrops
  2. settings
  3. scenes
Noun
  • Balloon walls, rose backdrops, giant waffle wings — pretty much every corner is a photo station.
    — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Oregon and Washington state shared an empty pavilion, with nothing but backdrops that showed beavers and the ocean or Amazon packages and the ocean, respectively.
    — Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026
Definition of backdrops
Noun
  • Android phones have an option to change the default AI assistant in the settings menu.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • Although seawater uranium extraction has been demonstrated in research settings, analysts note that large-scale commercialization will depend on achieving competitive production costs and successfully scaling the technology for industrial use.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Definition of settings
Noun
  • Yet, outside the excellently claustrophobic Trojan Horse scenes, Nolan is more interested in exploring his anguish than his spoils.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • On April 24, a 54-year-old male had a cardiac emergency on the attraction, a gentle boat ride that floats by scenes featuring cheerful puppets.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Definition of scenes

Browse Nearby Words

background
backgrounds
backhand
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Cite this Entry

“Backgrounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backgrounds. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on backgrounds

Nglish: Translation of backgrounds for Spanish Speakers

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