backstroke

American  

[bak-strohk] / ˈbækˌstroʊk /

noun

1. a backhanded stroke.

2. Swimming. a stroke made while on one's back.

3. a blow or stroke in return; recoil.

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verb (used without object)

backstroked, backstroking

1. Swimming. to swim the backstroke.

   She backstroked across the pool.

backstroke British  

/ ˈbækˌstrəʊk /

noun

1. Also called: back crawl.  swimming

   1. a stroke performed on the back, using backward circular strokes of each arm alternately and flipper movements of the feet

   2. ( as modifier )

      the backstroke champion

2. a return stroke or blow

3. a backhanded stroke

4. Leisure:Bell-ringing the upward movement of the bell rope as the bell swings back and forth Compare handstroke

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verb

1. (intr) to swim the backstroke

Etymology

Origin of backstroke

First recorded in 1665–75; back ² + stroke ¹

Explanation

When you swim the backstroke, you lie on your back in the water and move your arms up and back over your head while you kick your feet. It's hard to see where you're going when you do the backstroke. If you swim competitively on a swim team, the backstroke is one of the four official strokes for racing. Some swimmers prefer the backstroke because it's easier to breathe than when you swim face-down, though it's harder to tell how close you are to the pool wall. You can also use backstroke as a verb: "I'll just backstroke over to the shallow end and say hi to my friend."

Example Sentences

Olympic 200m back gold medallist Kos, who set a 200m backstroke world record two days earlier, broke the previous short course world record of 48.33sec set by American Coleman Stewart in 2021.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

Hungarian Hubert Kos also got in on the world record action, winning the 100m backstroke in 48.16sec to complete a perfect nine-for-nine run in this season's World Cup backstroke events.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

Hungarian Olympic gold medallist Hubert Kos fended off French superstar Leon Marchand to win the men's 200m backstroke in 1:46.84.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

After shaving a second off her previous best time on the backstroke leg, McIntosh was still a tenth of a second off Hosszú’s previous record pace at the final turn.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2025

Now she was widely favored to win the hundred-meter backstroke in Berlin.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown