1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Chicagoans of all races and backgrounds vote and pay taxes here. — Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026 Individuals with backgrounds in science are especially encouraged to apply. — Susan Soldavin, Baltimore Sun, 20 Sep. 2026 The other debate was between two young lawyers with military backgrounds, Democrat Michael Ferguson and Republican Yoni Anijar, in House District 100 along the Broward coast. — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 Minhaj and Venkataramanujam drew on their own backgrounds for the script. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 Fok said South African performers bring a distinctive rhythm and flow to circus, shaped by the country’s mix of cultures and backgrounds. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 The backgrounds of the actors and actresses are all very different. — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026 The jury, whose members are mostly men, is comprised of people of a wide array of ages and various backgrounds. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 The rescue has since used social media to help introduce its dogs to more potential adopters, particularly those with difficult backgrounds. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backgrounds
  1. backdrops
  2. settings
  3. scenes
Noun
  • The partnership will also give Brooks a major presence at Selhurst Park, with branding across pitchside and digital ribbon LEDs, stadium screens and TVs, static stadium assets and the club’s media backdrops.
    — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The fan art features moody Ivy League backdrops with bunny ears, heavy tomes, blood-red candles and saccharine doll-like fashion.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of backdrops
Noun
  • Compression boots are not a cure-all, but for people managing swelling, recovering from workouts or living with lymphedema, consistent use paired with appropriate pressure settings and a broader routine can make the investment worthwhile.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Hingson said that before Allen arrived at the Lighthouse, blind employees earned less than minimum wage under a law that allows employers to pay disabled workers subminimum rates in certain settings.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of settings
Noun
  • Having to balance coverage of this unimaginable tragedy with more typical Housewives scenes is a remarkably tricky balancing act, but one that the show handles well.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those scenes play as if the screenwriters gave up on trying to resolve the twisty plot, instead just making their characters tell all, leaving the film’s denouement much less engrossing than its setup.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of scenes

Browse Nearby Words

background
backgrounds
backhand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backgrounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backgrounds. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All