backdrop

noun

back·​drop ˈbak-ˌdräp 

1

: a painted cloth hung across the rear of a stage

2

: background

backdrop transitive verb

Synonyms

• background
• ground

Examples of backdrop in a Sentence

The mountains provided a perfect backdrop for the wedding photos.

The novel unfolds against a backdrop of war.

The city provides the backdrop for the love story.

Recent Examples on the Web

Multiple fires are burning in Orange County, New York, where County Executive Steve Neuhaus spoke amid a backdrop of overhead-height flames late Sunday afternoon. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024

And that moment of Rio using her knife to cut through the backdrop was pointing at that idea. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

Here, colorful cabins contrast colossal ice cap backdrops and vibrant celestial phenomena light the sky. —Yahya Salem, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024

The very real-life British tycoon Robert Maxwell as Rogers’ main competitor also features along with Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, as the licensing battles took place against the backdrop of the changing situation in the USSR. —John Bleasdale, Variety, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

backdrop

noun

back·​drop ˈbak-ˌdräp 

1

: a painted cloth hung across the rear of a stage

2

: background sense 1, 3a