backstop

American  

[bak-stop] / ˈbækˌstɒp /

noun

1. a wall, wire screen, or the like, serving to prevent a ball from going too far beyond the normal playing area.

2. Baseball. the catcher.

3. a person or thing that serves as a support, safeguard, or reinforcement.

   There were technicians on board as backstops to the automated controls.

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verb (used without object)

backstopped, backstopping

1. to act as a backstop.

verb (used with object)

backstopped, backstopping

1. to act as a backstop to.

   The government agreed to backstop companies that invested in oil exploration.

backstop British  

/ ˈbækˌstɒp /

noun

1. sport a screen or fence to prevent balls leaving the playing area

2. a block or catch to prevent excessive backward movement, such as one on the sliding seat of a rowing boat

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verb

1. to provide with backing or support

Other Word Forms

• backstopper noun

Etymology

Origin of backstop

First recorded in 1810–20; back ¹ + stop

Explanation

In baseball, a backstop is the wall or fence behind home plate that keeps the ball on the playing field. If the batter hits the ball into the backstop, it's a foul ball. When a softball player is up at bat, the backstop is behind her. Part of the backstop's purpose is to keep players and spectators from getting hurt by foul balls or bats that players toss after hitting the ball. You can also use the word backstop to describe a thing or a person that stands behind something, offering reinforcement or support. The earliest use of the word, in 1819, is from cricket.

Example Sentences

Flight attendant unions and advocacy groups for airline executives, recognizing the warning signs, have repeatedly begged the federal government to figure out a funding backstop for TSA salaries.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

Coal still accounts for more than half of China’s domestic energy mix and provides a reliable domestic energy backstop, they say, adding that Beijing could ramp up domestic coal production in the coming weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

For merger-arbitrage investors, Paramount’s all-cash bid with a ticking fee and a defined regulatory backstop materially reduced spread risk compared to a stock-heavy transaction subject to extended Justice Department review.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

This government-funded backstop will be fronted by American insurers, officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Until when another ball was thrown out from behind the backstop, Deacon Hurd called back, “How many more you got in there?”

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

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