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backdrop
[ bak-drop ]
noun
- alsocalledcomma especially British, back-cloth [bak, -klawth, -kloth] . Theater. the rear curtain of a stage setting.
- the background of an event; setting.
- Gymnastics. a maneuver in which a trampolinist jumps in the air, lands on the back with the arms and legs pointed upward, and then springs up to a standing position.
verb (used with object)
- to provide a setting or background for:
A vast mountain range backdrops the broad expanse of lake.
backdrop
/ ˈbækˌdrɒp /
noun
- another name for backcloth
- the background to any scene or situation
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
Rust depicts the manhunt for grandfather and grandson amidst a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and tumbleweed dirt towns.
Anthony De Mello, the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India, announced the team with a backdrop of a map of undivided India, proclaiming that the team would represent all of India.
These departures come against the backdrop of a series of controversies since Ben Sulayem became president.
With this backdrop, Wales fans turned up more than hope than expectation as Gatland made four changes from the side that lost to Fiji.
The show was in development over the last five years, against the backdrop of events like the Black Lives Matter protests.
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Related Words
More About Backdrop
What does backdrop mean?
Backdrop refers to the background or setting of a situation or event.
It can refer to something physically located in the background of something else, such as a backdrop used for a photo shoot. It can also be used figuratively to refer to circumstances that surround an event, as in a backdrop of scandal and accusations of fraud.
More specifically, a backdrop is the curtain that hangs at the back of the stage in a theater, as in We have to fix the rips in the backdrop before the big show.
Less commonly, backdrop can also be used as a verb to mean providing a background for something, as in The towering trees backdropped the outdoor photo shoot.
Example: The film took place against the backdrop of World War II and featured major events from the war.
Where does backdrop come from?
The first records of the word backdrop come from the early 1910s. It was first used in the U.S. It’s simply a combination of back, meaning “the rear part,” and drop, referring to something that falls or hangs vertically—like the back curtain of a stage.
While many theater backdrops are plain black or red, they can also be painted or printed with a scene that relates to the show being staged. In everyday use, backdrop is often used figuratively to refer to the conditions or circumstances that surround an event to provide context. In other words, the backdrop of an even consists of the things happening in the background (and the word background can be used as a synonym of this sense of backdrop).
Did you know ... ?
How is backdrop used in real life?
Backdrop is commonly used to refer figuratively to the background or context of a situation.
Today is the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic I Have A Dream speech at the 1963 March on Washington.
Half a century later, against the backdrop of nationwide uprisings demanding racial justice, much of his words still ring true.
Let's revisit them.
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 28, 2020
Club Historian John Hutchinson's new series continues with the story of how #lcfc encountered major off-field problems amid the backdrop of The Battle of Britain ⤵️
— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 17, 2020
Sorry the meet and greet didn't have the backdrop. One of our busses broke down last night and it was on it. I'm just glad we made it here!
— h (@halsey) August 13, 2016
Try using backdrop!
Is backdrop used correctly in the following sentence?
The self-portrait depicted the artist posing in front of a backdrop of a lush garden.
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