backboard
noun
back·board
ˈbak-ˌbȯrd 
1
: a board placed at or serving as the back of something
especially
: a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court which serves to keep missed shots from going out-of-bounds and from which the ball can be made to rebound into the basket
2
: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport
Examples of backboard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Riding the emotional tidal wave, the Trojans earned a second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16, in Spokane, Washington this year, by overwhelming Mississippi State in every way – scoreboards, backboards, sonically, spiritually.
—
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2025
Senior power forward Julian Reese credited the Wolverines with being more aggressive when the ball came off the rim or backboard.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2025
Current Evans High boys players may not know much about Darryl Dawkins and the boisterous basketball days that left his indelible mark on the sport — and backboards.
—Buddy Collings, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
The competition occupied two-thirds of the gym, an echoing space with bleachers, a big American flag on the wall, and twelve basketball backboards.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
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Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2025
Senior power forward Julian Reese credited the Wolverines with being more aggressive when the ball came off the rim or backboard.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2025
Current Evans High boys players may not know much about Darryl Dawkins and the boisterous basketball days that left his indelible mark on the sport — and backboards.
—Buddy Collings, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
The competition occupied two-thirds of the gym, an echoing space with bleachers, a big American flag on the wall, and twelve basketball backboards.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backboard
Cite this Entry
“Backboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backboard. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backboard
noun
back·board
ˈbak-ˌbōrd
-ˌbȯrd
: a board placed at the back or serving as a back
especially
: a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court
Medical Definition
backboard
noun
back·board
-ˌbȯrd
: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport
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