backstory
noun
backĀ·story
| \ Ėbak-ĖstČÆr-Ä
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Definition of backstory
: a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot (as of a film)
Examples of backstory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cute backstory aside, Laprise has impressive credentials. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "Cirque du Soleil at Disney World: Opening date and all we know | Q&A," 27 Aug. 2019 Yet the movie elides more or less all of the substance in this backstory, leaving the central relationship of the film, the marital one, utterly opaque. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "āWhereād You Go, Bernadette,ā Reviewed: Richard Linklaterās Narrow View of a Creator in Crisis," 26 Aug. 2019 The backstory: For the first time, this Beer of the Month column is a Beers of the Month column. — Josh Noel, chicagotribune.com, "Beer(s) of the month: School of Brett highlights Brettanomyces yeast in a mixed four-pack of saisons," 8 July 2019 As part of Nancy's backstory, her dad is a pro bono legal aid lawyer, and her mom was a civil rights activist; Nancy herself is also concerned with equality and social issues, and stands up when her friends are bullied. — Claire Dodson, Teen Vogue, ""IT" Star Sophia Lillis's Newest Role Is the Bold, Iconic Nancy Drew," 15 Mar. 2019 Season 3 and 4 will dig into Beth's backstory and fate. — Amy Spencer, Good Housekeeping, "This Is Us," 12 Feb. 2019 The featherweight fight pitting Gabriel BenĆtez against Yusuff also offers an intriguing backstory. — Justin Barrasso, SI.com, "Predictions, Unanswered Questions and Storylines for UFC 241," 16 Aug. 2019 Phoebe's backstory of a complicated home life (her dad split; a mom who died by suicide) and years living on the street always set her apart from the other main characters who grew up in more stable environments. — Whitney Friedlander, CNN, "The 25 most relatable 'Friends' episodes as the show turns 25," 16 Aug. 2019 Serena's backstory showed how some women become trapped in their own complicity. — Nojan Aminosharei, Harper's BAZAAR, "Ann Dowd Digs Deep to Understand Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale," 14 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backstory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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