back·stop
ˈbak-ˌstäp 
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
David M. Oshinsky
backstopped; backstopping; backstops
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
Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Cal Raleigh No catcher checks more boxes than the Seattle Mariners' 28-year-old backstop.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
As is normal in our current system, additional firefighters from outside the local area arrived to backstop the initial responders when they were exhausted after their 24- or 48-hour shifts.
—Jay Balagna, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for backstop 
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Noun
Advertisement Now, however, the FAIR Plan is facing its biggest crisis since the 1994 Northridge earthquake, when it was bailed out by the state’s licensed property insurance companies, which operate the plan and provide it with a financial backstop.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Cal Raleigh No catcher checks more boxes than the Seattle Mariners' 28-year-old backstop.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
Both to manage any transfer of the company's assets and/or to backstop the company financially.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
As is normal in our current system, additional firefighters from outside the local area arrived to backstop the initial responders when they were exhausted after their 24- or 48-hour shifts.
—Jay Balagna, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for backstop
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Cite this Entry
“Backstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstop. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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