backstop

(-stäp′)

noun

  1. Sports a fence, screen, etc., esp. one behind the catcher in baseball, serving to stop balls from leaving the playing area
  2. anything that supports or bolsters

transitive verb backstopped, backstopping

to act as a backstop for

See backstop in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. Sports A screen or fence used to prevent a ball from being thrown or hit far out of a playing area, as in baseball.
  2. Baseball A catcher.
  3. Something that supports or bolsters.
transitive verb back·stopped, back·stop·ping, back·stops
  1. To serve as a backstop for.
  2. a. To support or bolster: “The firm lacks a topflight strategic-consulting arm to backstop its technology gurus” (Alex Beam).
    b. To substitute for (another) in an emergency.

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