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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Most were immigrants from poor backgrounds, born in the Russian Empire between 1870 and 1910 and flung across the Atlantic as children or adolescents.
—
Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Healthcare workers from immigrant backgrounds are staying home out of fear.
—Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The 2026 Wisconsin governor's race could break historical patterns for party control and candidate backgrounds.
—Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The survey, commissioned by Hers, a digital women’s health company that recently launched a perimenopause and menopause care program, probed 1,500 women in America from diverse geographic and racial backgrounds who were at different stages of midlife.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Today’s crunchy universe has its own lexicon, myriad complicated theories and counter-theories, and a legion of skeptics and soothsayers, many with scientific or pseudoscientific backgrounds.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
The governor writes that his willingness to publicly embrace his Jewish faith before and after the attack has been welcomed by people of various religious backgrounds, suggesting that his experience as part of an observant Jewish family would be a prominent part of any run for the presidency.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Her efforts there were primarily focused on hiring and promoting mathematicians, engineers and scientists from diverse backgrounds within NASA.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
McKinsey and Russell Reynolds report a surge in Fortune 500 companies recruiting executives with geopolitical expertise, often from military, intelligence, and government backgrounds.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Healthcare workers from immigrant backgrounds are staying home out of fear.
—Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The 2026 Wisconsin governor's race could break historical patterns for party control and candidate backgrounds.
—Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The survey, commissioned by Hers, a digital women’s health company that recently launched a perimenopause and menopause care program, probed 1,500 women in America from diverse geographic and racial backgrounds who were at different stages of midlife.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Today’s crunchy universe has its own lexicon, myriad complicated theories and counter-theories, and a legion of skeptics and soothsayers, many with scientific or pseudoscientific backgrounds.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
The governor writes that his willingness to publicly embrace his Jewish faith before and after the attack has been welcomed by people of various religious backgrounds, suggesting that his experience as part of an observant Jewish family would be a prominent part of any run for the presidency.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Her efforts there were primarily focused on hiring and promoting mathematicians, engineers and scientists from diverse backgrounds within NASA.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
McKinsey and Russell Reynolds report a surge in Fortune 500 companies recruiting executives with geopolitical expertise, often from military, intelligence, and government backgrounds.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backgrounds
Noun
-
After years of performative gathering, the Instagrammable backdrops and content-ready moments, people are seeking something different.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
There were pancakes and balloons, along with photos of his friends and family against snowy backdrops.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Collecting demonstrations by teleoperating robots works in limited scenarios but becomes impractical in many real-world settings.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Additional features can be selected using the smartphone app, such as configuring the auto-input switching and video delay compensation, as well as Auracast settings such as the broadcast name, password protection and hearing-aid modes.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
However, police are sometimes called by community members or federal agents to respond to immigration enforcement scenes to ensure the safety of the public or agents, police say.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Filling in and fixing scenes during post-production, including generating pick-up shots, continuity breaks, editing and other improvements when the cameras have stopped rolling.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backgrounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backgrounds. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
