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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Recent Examples of backstop
In an email shared with the Herald Friday night, a spokesperson for Kraft Sports & Entertainment emphasized that Kraft Group has agreed to backstop the entire amount requested.
—
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
This hasn’t been his best season, but based on the film and his body of work, Bobrovsky is as likely as any goalie in the league to backstop a team to a deep playoff run.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The federal government should backstop and, in some cases, override state decisions which are bad for children, families and teachers.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Earlier this month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league would backstop the teams that elected to cut ties with their RSNs.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backstop
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
This hasn’t been his best season, but based on the film and his body of work, Bobrovsky is as likely as any goalie in the league to backstop a team to a deep playoff run.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The federal government should backstop and, in some cases, override state decisions which are bad for children, families and teachers.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Earlier this month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league would backstop the teams that elected to cut ties with their RSNs.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backstop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstop
Verb
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During this time, circus families blossomed all over Mexico, aided by the appearance of the steamship and railway systems, as the circus historian Julio Revolledo Cárdenas would detail in a 2018 article for the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
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Additionally, this decision meant Microsoft could not be held liable for allegedly aiding and abetting OpenAI.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
18 May 2026
Verb
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In the 15th minute, Hermansen overhit his pass for Todbio, which enabled winger Harvey Barnes to capitalise on the mistake to assist Nick Woltemade.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Suppose a mid-sized company has decided to deploy internally an AI agent that will assist in choosing vendors that the firm will make use of.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The restriction has helped cultivate a blissfully tranquil ambience for both guests and the resort’s underwater species.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
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Because a bright sky helps subdue Venus's glare, this is a good time to inspect the planet telescopically, though its gibbous disk remains rather small and approximately seven-eighths illuminated.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Your browser does not support the video tag.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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That’s not supported by the data.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstop. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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