backstop

1 of 2

noun

back·​stop ˈbak-ˌstäp How to pronounce backstop (audio)
plural backstops
1
: something at the back serving as a stop: such as
a
: a screen or fence for keeping a ball from leaving the field of play
b
: a stop (such as a pawl) that prevents a backward movement (as of a wheel)
2
: a player (such as the catcher) positioned behind the batter
3
: something or someone that provides dependable support or protection against failure or loss
As the cold war heated up, Hoover became the country's backstop against subversion.David M. Oshinsky

backstop

2 of 2

verb

backstopped; backstopping; backstops

transitive verb

1
2
: to serve as a backstop to
3
: to play the position of goalkeeper for
backstop a hockey team

Examples of backstop in a Sentence

Noun The pitch got past the catcher and rolled all the way to the backstop. kept some gold as a backstop in case the value of the local currency collapsed Verb the Nobel-winning geneticist was of course backstopped in his research by a team of highly talented assistants
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Bart’s fate was seemingly sealed when the Giants brought in Murphy as a veteran backup to Bailey, who is going to be expected to catch five days a week in his first full major-league season after introducing himself as one of the top defensive backstops in the game last year. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 On Friday, the Royals got a second chance to acquire the veteran backstop. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2024 For instance, without the usual backstop, last summer’s historic heatwave that knocked some refineries offline unexpectedly lifted gas prices across the country. Matt Egan, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024 One of the best hitting catchers to play, Mauer became the first American League backstop to win a batting title. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2024 Assistant coach Taira Uematsu and Alec Burg, the bullpen catcher, have assumed those duties, with an assist from the head honcho who was once a backstop himself. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 The marketplaces have also been important backstops for Americans who lost Medicaid for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, after a federal policy guaranteeing coverage expired in April and forced millions of people to hunt for new plans. Noah Weiland, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2024 The Lee County Republican has filed a bill for the upcoming Legislative session that would significantly change Citizens’ mission from the insurer of last resort to the state’s hurricane backstop. Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Eiffel Tower-sized tankers carried a record haul of U.S. oil to Europe last month, solidifying America's role as the continent's energy backstop. David Uberti, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2024
Verb
Reinsurance companies provide more than 80 percent of the capital that backstops insured risks. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023 At that point, a precaution set up to backstop bad customerdecisions kicked in. Michael Laris, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 Last week, Shenzhen Metro — and, by extension, the Shenzhen government — sought to calm investors by pledging to backstop Vanke. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Regulators have ordered utilities to add 1,000 megawatts of electricity from clean sources that can run at all hours to backstop fluctuating wind and solar supplies. Brad Plumer, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 That’s largely seen as an attempt by OPEC members to look out for their own domestic priorities, given how heavily oil revenues backstop public budgets in those countries. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 19 Sep. 2023 Startup founders and venture capitalists weren’t the only ones cheering regulators’ decision to backstop all deposits after the swift collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Hannah Miao, WSJ, 14 Mar. 2023 While Beijing did little to backstop other major home builders, including Evergrande, the now bankrupt property developer that once rivaled Country Garden for market supremacy, the government has displayed a greater willingness to support the firm. Claire Fu, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued $275 million of cat bonds to backstop the National Flood Insurance Program. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backstop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of backstop was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near backstop

Cite this Entry

“Backstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstop. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

backstop

noun
back·​stop
ˈbak-ˌstäp
1
: a screen or fence to keep a ball from leaving the field of play
2
: a baseball catcher
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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