as in to aid
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end
the Nobel-winning geneticist was of course backstopped in his research by a team of highly talented assistants
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backstop
Under my system, the United States would still backstop the continent’s security by providing a nuclear umbrella and deploying its naval resources.
—
Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
At the August trade deadline, the team’s president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, loaded up on bullpen arms to backstop the starting rotation that was built for fall, but damaged or missing over the summer.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The bad news is that in recent years, declining interest rates and recessions have often gone hand in hand as the Fed tries to backstop Wall Street and Main Street: Seven out of 11 periods of sustained rate cutting since 1980 have coincided with recessions, according to research by Hartford Funds.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2024
These discussions took place well before the onset of digital services taxes, though Tom would not be surprised that so many foreign governments have turned to DSTs, ostensibly to backstop their corporate income tax regimes.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backstop 
Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
At the August trade deadline, the team’s president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, loaded up on bullpen arms to backstop the starting rotation that was built for fall, but damaged or missing over the summer.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The bad news is that in recent years, declining interest rates and recessions have often gone hand in hand as the Fed tries to backstop Wall Street and Main Street: Seven out of 11 periods of sustained rate cutting since 1980 have coincided with recessions, according to research by Hartford Funds.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2024
These discussions took place well before the onset of digital services taxes, though Tom would not be surprised that so many foreign governments have turned to DSTs, ostensibly to backstop their corporate income tax regimes.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backstop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstop
Verb
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Body cameras also aid in training, improve policies and encourage de-escalation by promoting professional behavior.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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Scientists think that the endogenous opioid system evolved, in part, to push animals toward behaviors that aided the species’ survival.—
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Notably, however, not a single one of his 16 goals was assisted by Ferreira during the USMNT forward’s 1,323 minutes.—
Jeff Rueter,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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The fire department’s Special Services Unit is working with the American Red Cross to assist any families that were displaced, fire officials said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who helped to negotiate the legal settlements in federal court, highlighted that specific clause when the law was making its way through the legislature in 2022.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2025
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Aragon helped manage the migrants’ arrival and connect them with organizations to find housing and services.—
Tony Barboza,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For example, the USDA invested about $6.6 billion to support rural development between 2017 and 2021, but only about $138 million went to tribal communities.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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In the last 20 years, Intermountain Church Planters, an organization that supports church plants in the Intermountain West, has planted nearly 30 churches this way, including seven in the Treasure Valley, according to data its leaders shared with the Statesman.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
18 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Backstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstop. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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