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

The backstory The hotel is owned by Ferragamo family's Lungarno Collection with outposts in Florence and Milan. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2026

Among Steinbeck purists, giving Cathy a trauma backstory has proven a controversial move — one that just might turn the story’s main moral on its head. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026

In 1971, eight years after Sylvia Plath died, a dispute over the backstory of her death broke out between her husband Ted Hughes and the poet and critic Al Alvarez. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Below, in a conversation with THR, Rothe also discusses shooting Beware Boiúna on the actual Amazon River and how her own backstory informed her portrayal of Alli. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for backstory

• aurore
• forbore
• outlawry
• pylori
• savoury
• signori
• signory
• vainglory
• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory