back (up) 1 of 3

verb

Definition of back (up)next
1
as in to testify (to)

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2
as in to gel

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backup

2 of 3

noun

ˈbak-ˌəp How to pronounce backup (audio)
1
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement there was the inevitable backup of travelers trying to pass through airport security

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in replacement
a person or thing that takes the place of another you didn't get the lead position, but you can be the backup to the chosen singer

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backup

3 of 3

adjective

as in makeshift

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of back (up)
Noun
Andrew Wylie has been the team’s primary backup left tackle throughout camp and took over for Tunsil for the remainder of Saturday’s practice. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 The former Florida Gator will help the Panthers get through training camp and through their next three preseason games without overburdening backup Kenny Pickett and starter Bryce Young. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
Adjective
This has created opportunities for others, while backup QB Tyrod Taylor also had a strong outing. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The Miami Dolphins might’ve figured out their backup tackle situation. — Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
  1. gel
  2. jam
  3. replacement
  4. makeshift
  5. coagulate
  6. substitute
  7. proxy
  8. harden
Verb
  • Both have had time to gel as a squad, and both have managers who know how to get over the line.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Here, her natural hair was styled in a sleek, avant-garde aesthetic that gelled her front layer in a sharp wave over her forehead.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
Definition of gel
Noun
  • The inside is lined with a spread like Nutella, cookie butter, strawberry jam or peanut butter, then filled with soft serve and finished with fruit, drizzles and toppings.
    — Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The menu seems to change, but for now, there’s a Hellraiser for a person who’s a bit of a heat-seeker with bacon, blue cheese, mozzarella and jalapeno-pistachio jam.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • Without Odobert, who was Kudus’ natural replacement on the right, or Kolo Muani, who filled in at that position for De Zerbi last term, there is no clear candidate to start at right wing should the Ghanaian not return in time for Brentford.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Some pieces of equipment, including several 800-ton chillers that help cool the building, are decades old and in need of replacement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • The makeshift ballpark, which hosted the White Sox and Yankees in 2021 and the Cubs and Reds in 2022, now has permanent locker rooms and suites.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Agent Mulder, hot on the trail of a group of murderers who are harvesting their victims' organs, breaks into a makeshift laboratory in an attempt to save an abducted woman.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of makeshift
Verb
  • As most of the scientific books tell us, coagulating protein at lower temperatures produces more tender clumps; adding a little water or cream makes an omelet tenderer still.
    — Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
  • If an egg cracks during boiling, vinegar can help the egg white coagulate faster, preventing it from leaking into the water.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of coagulate
Noun
  • The government’s $600 million per year pledge, though appreciated and welcome, is not a substitute for durable, legally enforceable contribution obligations.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
  • These systems are the most futuristic pieces of the renovation, but Korem presents them as additions to a much larger recovery program—not substitutes for foundational work.
    — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • Russian proxy forces had seized the complex in 2014 and turned it into a secret prison.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And the Houthis, Iran’s Yemeni proxy terror group, attacked another Saudi ship in the Bab al-Mandeb this morning, their eighth strike on Saudi ships so far.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of proxy
Verb
  • The early search web was an experimental stage where the rules had not hardened, and the feedback loop between publishers and engines was still manageable and easier to test and interpret.
    — Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Each Fernie's Frozen Espresso-tini Bar is artfully drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite, making for the ultimate pick-me-up on a stick!
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of harden

Browse Nearby Words

backtracks
back (up)
backup
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Cite this Entry

“Back (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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