backstory
noun
back·story
ˈbak-ˌstȯr-ē 
: 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
His backstory for the spaceship included a sacred pool at its center.
—
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Throughout the movie, Lanthimos doles out pieces of backstory in short, dreamlike sequences that unfurl in black and white, artfully filling in the blanks of Teddy’s particular interest in Michelle.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
This episode — which consists almost entirely of characters sharing formative incidents from their pasts — is an unusually blunt device for delivering backstory.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The negligible homicide case is seen through the strongest of microscopes, bringing flashbacks of the backstory into sharp focus as questions about faith and the human psyche soon arise.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstory
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Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Throughout the movie, Lanthimos doles out pieces of backstory in short, dreamlike sequences that unfurl in black and white, artfully filling in the blanks of Teddy’s particular interest in Michelle.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
This episode — which consists almost entirely of characters sharing formative incidents from their pasts — is an unusually blunt device for delivering backstory.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The negligible homicide case is seen through the strongest of microscopes, bringing flashbacks of the backstory into sharp focus as questions about faith and the human psyche soon arise.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstory
Cite this Entry
“Backstory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstory. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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