rear

1 of 4

verb

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
 transitive sense 4 & intransitive sense 2 are also  ˈrer
reared; rearing; rears

transitive verb

1
: to erect by building : construct
2
: to raise upright
3
a(1)
: to breed and raise (an animal) for use or market
(2)
: to bring to maturity or self-sufficiency usually through nurturing care
reared five children
birds rearing their young
b
: to cause (plants) to grow
4
: to cause (a horse) to rise up on the hind legs

intransitive verb

1
: to rise high
2
of a horse : to rise up on the hind legs
rearer noun

rear

2 of 4

noun

1
: the back part of something: such as
a
: the unit (as of an army) or area farthest from the enemy
b
: the part of something located opposite its front
the rear of a house
c
2
: the space or position at the back
moved to the rear

rear

3 of 4

adjective

: being at the back
the rear entrance

rear

4 of 4

adverb

: toward or from the rear
usually used in combination
a rear-driven car
Choose the Right Synonym for rear

lift, raise, rear, elevate, hoist, heave, boost mean to move from a lower to a higher place or position.

lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

Examples of rear in a Sentence

Verb watched a documentary on how wolves rear their young it took all the men in the village to rear the frame for the barn, pulling hard at the ropes until all the sides were standing Noun There are two bedrooms at the rear. the rear of the car was sleekly designed Adjective The car's rear bumper was damaged. go to the back of the building and look out the rear window and you'll see the eagle
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Though great minds like British philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft campaigned for women’s scholarship, public opinion was generally against rearing daughters for work outside of the service industry, or even encouraging open-minded thought. E.r. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, issues with the film’s construction quickly rear their head. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 To a generation of fans reared on fantasy leagues and video games, where points are won and decisions made on a player’s metrics, the fact that nobody has better numbers than Erling Haaland settles the debate. Rory Smith, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The street wasn’t well lit, and the hostel reared up so suddenly from the footpath and was so tall and bright that walking past it in the dark felt a little like being in a tugboat bumping along the edge of an ocean liner. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The bull stopped beneath him, reared itself up, and gored him then and there. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 In that same year, the ongoing problem reared its ugly head. Torie Bosch, STAT, 17 Feb. 2024 Gerhard Berger’s missing Prancing Horse has finally reared up. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 Time that used to be spent on hobbies, dates and bonding activities is now majorly spent on child rearing activities. Mark Travers, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Authorities have resorted to shooting bears in the rear with paintball guns as a deterrent. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The current design of Zipline’s Platform 2 Droid is built around a large thruster in the rear and two smaller thrusters at the front and back. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2024 According to information released by the Los Angeles Fire Department, firefighters arrived to find heavy fire in the rear of the 6,650-square-foot home. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 The fire was determined to have started at the rear of the home, but the cause is still under investigation, Wilson said, adding that the fire does not appear to be suspicious. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Before the race began, Ross Chastain was handed a penalty and started the race from the rear. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2024 Bringing up the rear is an animal that demands respect despite its rather goofy appearance. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 The rear is where the Arcadia Droptail is at its most striking. Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Adjective
This malfunction can enable the affected rear door to be opened without warning. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 The configuration makes sense for lots of vehicles, because the rear passenger doors overlap with the front of the rear wheelbases, meaning that the small portion of glass behind the division bar has nowhere to go. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024 Some car manufacturers use it to create aerodynamic elements such as rear wings, front spoilers and scoops. Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 March 3 Residential burglary: Between 5 a.m. on March 1 and 11:26 p.m. on March 3, someone entered a residence in the 19000 block of Spring Brook Lane by breaking a rear glass door. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 The Philadelphia Police Department released footage of the suspects pulling into a handicap parking space in a lot at about 2:53 p.m. before three individuals exited from the front passenger door and two rear doors. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2024 While most of the rounds put unsightly dents in the side of the car, one of them punctured a rear door, leaving an actual bullet hole. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Noel sent Honk a photo of a rear California license plate, with the number in pink and the background black. Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024 As images obtained by the outlet show, the wheel broke one vehicle's rear windshield, damaged a Tesla, bent part of a fence and eventually landed in a nearby lot. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English reren, from Old English rǣran; akin to Old Norse reisa to raise, Old English rīsan to rise

Noun

Middle English rere, short for rerewarde rearward

Adjective

Middle English rere-, from Anglo-French rere backward, behind, from Latin retro- — more at retro

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rear was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rear

Cite this Entry

“Rear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rear. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rear

1 of 3 verb
1
: to put up by building : construct
2
: to raise or set on end
3
a
: to take care of the breeding and raising of
rear cattle
b
: to bring by continuous care to a stage at which one is fully grown or self-sufficient
rear children
4
: to rise high
5
: to rise up on the hind legs
the horse reared in fright

rear

2 of 3 noun
1
: the part (as of an army) or area farthest from the enemy
2
3
: the space or position at the back

rear

3 of 3 adjective
: being at the back

More from Merriam-Webster on rear

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