backboard

noun

back·​board ˈbak-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce backboard (audio)
1
: a board placed at or serving as the back of something
especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court which serves to keep missed shots from going out-of-bounds and from which the ball can be made to rebound into the basket
2
: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport

Examples of backboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But DeMar DeRozan’s contested 3-point try at the buzzer clanged off the backboard. Staff and News Service Reports, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025 Queen’s off-balance shot Sunday banked perfectly off the backboard and through the hoop, giving the program a 72-71 victory over the Rams. Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025 The high-flyer even flew in to finish an alley-oop dunk after Diarra set him up off the backboard. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 Mar. 2025 Riding the emotional tidal wave, the Trojans earned a second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16, in Spokane, Washington this year, by overwhelming Mississippi State in every way – scoreboards, backboards, sonically, spiritually. Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for backboard

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of backboard was in 1761

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Cite this Entry

“Backboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backboard. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

backboard

noun
back·​board ˈbak-ˌbōrd How to pronounce backboard (audio)
-ˌbȯrd
: a board placed at the back or serving as a back
especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court

Medical Definition

backboard

noun
back·​board -ˌbȯrd How to pronounce backboard (audio)
: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport

More from Merriam-Webster on backboard

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