back

1 of 4

noun

ˈbak

plural backs

Synonyms of back next

a(1)

: the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine

(2)

: the body considered as the wearer of clothes

They were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

(3)

: capacity for labor, effort, or endurance

Put your back into it!

(4)

: the back considered as the seat of one's awareness of duty or failings

get off my back

(5)

: the back considered as an area of vulnerability

the police officer's partner always watches his back

: the part of a lower animal (such as a quadruped) corresponding to the human back

riding on the back of an elephant

: spinal column

She had surgery on her back.

: spine sense 1c

The title is on the book's back.

: the side or surface opposite the front or face

I only saw him from the back.

: the rear part

the back of the head

the back of the mirror

also : the farther or reverse side

wrote the number on the back of an envelope

: something at or on the back for support

back of a chair

: a place away from the front

sat in back

: a position in some games (such as football or soccer) behind the front line of players

also : a player in this position

a defensive back

informal : a swimming race in which swimmers use the backstroke

She placed first in the 100-meter back.

backed

ˈbakt

adjective

backless

ˈbak-ləs

adjective

back

2 of 4

adverb

: to, toward, or at the rear

asked the crowd to move back

: in or into the past : backward in time

looking back on her youth

an event back in the last century

Back then, no one had ever heard of chronic fatigue syndrome.

also : ago

several years back

met him in the street two days back

: to or at an angle off the vertical

leaned back on his chair

d(1)

: under restraint

He wanted to fight but his friends held him back.

holding back a laugh

(2)

: in or into a delayed condition

Bad weather set the launch date back several days.

The meeting was pushed back at the last minute.

Season 2's final episodes were held back for a few weeks … before finally airing.—

Nick Valdez

: in an inferior or secondary position

especially : behind a competitor in points or ranking

finished three strokes back

: to, toward, or in a place from which a person or thing came

She left home and never went back.

put the book back

: to or toward a former state

went back to private life

: in return or reply

forgot to write back

back

3 of 4

adjective

: being at or in the back

back door

: distant from a central or main area

back roads

of a speech sound : articulated at or toward the back of the oral passage : formed deep within the mouth

back vowels

: having returned or been returned

: being in arrears : overdue

is owed several months in back pay

: moving or operating backward : reverse

back action with oars

: not current

back issues of a magazine

golf : constituting the final 9 holes of an 18-hole course

back

4 of 4

verb

backed; backing; backs

transitive verb

: to support by material or moral assistance

backing a candidate for governor

—often used with up

back up a friend in a fight

: substantiate

—often used with up

needs to back up her argument with evidence

: to assume financial responsibility for

back a new company

: to provide musical accompaniment for

—often used with up

a singer backed up by a guitarist

: to cause to go back (see back entry 2 sense 1a) or in reverse

back the car into the garage

: to articulate (a speech sound) with the tongue farther back : to form deeper within the mouth

: to furnish with a rear part : to furnish with a back (see back entry 1 sense 2)

back a skirt with stiff material

: to be at the rear part of : to be at the back (see back entry 1 sense 2) of

a row of garages back the building

intransitive verb

: to move backward

backed into a parking space

—often used with up

back up to give him some space

Let's back up a little to clarify what we're saying.

of the wind : to shift counterclockwise compare veer entry 1 sense 2

: to have the rear part facing in the direction of something

The house backs onto a golf course.

backer

ˈba-kər

noun

Phrases

back of one's hand or back of the hand

: a show of contempt

back of one's mind

: the part of one's mind where thoughts and memories are stored to be drawn on

behind one's back

: without one's knowledge

talking about me behind my back

in back of

: behind

One day, I was sitting in the tiny parlor in back of the store …—

John McNulty

back and fill

nautical : to manage the sails of a ship so as to keep it clear of obstructions as it floats down with the current of a river or channel

: to take opposite positions alternately : shilly-shally

has been back and filling on the issue

back into

: to get into inadvertently

backed into the antiques business

Choose the Right Synonym for back

support, uphold, advocate, back, champion mean to favor actively one that meets opposition.

support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

recede, retreat, retract, back mean to move backward.

recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space.

the flood waters gradually receded

retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached.

retreating soldiers

retract implies drawing back from an extended position.

a cat retracting its claws

back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion.

backed off on the throttle

Examples of back in a Sentence

Noun She was carrying her little daughter on her back. She has a pain in the small of her back. I slapped him on his back to congratulate him. She stabbed him in the back. He had his hands behind his back. a bird with a dark back riding on the back of a horse a comfortable chair with a padded back Adverb The soldiers moved back from the front lines. The police asked the crowd to move back from the scene of the accident. He left his friends two miles back. She turned around and looked back toward him. a chapter beginning several pages back He left his home and never went back. It's time to go back home. She took the book off the shelf and forgot to put it back. In the opening chapter the author looks back on his youth. an event back in the last century Adjective He keeps his wallet in his back pocket. We came in through the back entrance. We drove on the back roads instead of the main roads. The company owes him several months in back pay. Verb I'm backing him for President. She backed the winner of the race and won a lot of money. She backed her argument with written evidence. She backed the singer on the guitar. She backed into a parking space. She backed out of the garage. The dog kept growling but backed off cautiously. back a skirt with stiff material

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the back, reportedly holding a gun to his own head, was Simpson. —

Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 In addition to Depp, the film stars Bill Skarsgård, trading in Pennywise’s clown makeup for Count Orlock’s razor-sharp fangs (he’s glimpsed from the back, hunching over in a bat-like crouch), as well as Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin. —

Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024 Partially deflated, this also doubles as lumbar support in case your back starts to get tired from driving. —

Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024 There’s a camera with a moving lens, a strap, and film that loads in the back. —

Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024 Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up. —

USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Thank you to my teammates, coaches, and staff for having my back through this difficult time. —

Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024 The affidavit says that at one point Hinnant fell to the ground face down, his back toward the pursuing officers. —

Martin Weil, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024 Both the ’42 and its slightly smaller sibling have even wider sapphire crystals on the back, showcasing in-house movements with Pellaton winding systems featuring ceramic components. —

Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024

Adverb

President Joe Biden confirmed news of the 250 new trees on Wednesday after welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida back to the White House. —

Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024 The Owl has been responsible for two Guinness World Records (for eight-mile and quarter-mile average speeds) but shifting production from Italy back to Japan has produced even more delays, requiring patience from would-be owners. —

Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024 Later in the film, Ukrainian people start to appear trying to go back to their lives. —

Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024 Masten was discharged and sent back to the jail that same day, according to the lawsuit. —

James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024 Every single other person would not want to go back to five days. —

Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024 The economy — and consumer spending — had roared back from the pandemic recession. —

Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024 The all-volunteer rescue, which adopts out about 250 cats and kittens each year, also offers TNR (trap, neuter, return) services, collecting strays to be neutered and vaccinated then released back to where they were found. —

Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024 And he's surrounded himself with musicians who know how to capture the magic of those records, including right-hand man Bruce Johnston, whose association with the Beach Boys stretches back to 1965. —

Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 31 Mar. 2024

Adjective

His back windshield was shattered and the vehicle was riddled with bullets. —

Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024 Here Comes Padel: The sport is played with a racket on a court with a net, but watch out for those bouncing shots from the back wall. —

Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024 Because then that person with back pain becomes the grandma who wants to get back to playing with her grandchildren and knitting. —

Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024 Famously, Swift has also been re-recording her back catalog to regain control of her masters. —

Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2024 For example, boarding window seat customers in the back half of the plane first would speed up the process. —

Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024 Our testers loved the racerback design, which provided enough support without digging into their skin or causing upper back discomfort. —

Katrina Cossey, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024 To film the scene, the crew would affix the back half of an airplane to a truck, rig cranes with lighting to simulate phosphorus explosions, put up enormous fans to create whipping propeller winds. —

Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 To stand in the back pew every week and receive the benediction, despite my grief, despite my own wilderness, felt subversive. —

Julia Cho, The New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2024

Verb

The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. —

Joseph Federman, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024 Hyaluronic acid products have garnered cult status in the skincare community, and the hype seems to be justified — studies have backed the use of hyaluronic acid serums to hydrate the skin and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. —

Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024 The Biden campaign circulated a press release highlighting its cash advantage over Trump — and how entities backing Trump have spent tens of millions of dollars on his legal defense. —

Arden Farhi, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024 The Vel Phillips Legacy Initiative, started by Johnson with endorsement from Phillips’ son and backed by The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, has raised over $500,000 to commission and donate the sculpture to the State of Wisconsin. —

Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024 The high-profile joint appearance comes despite the two men recently being at odds on passing additional aid to Ukraine and Trump encouraging House GOP hard-liners this week to block reauthorizing FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a measure Johnson backed. —

Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024 The Democratic Party’s progressive wing, strongly backed by public employee unions, contends that new taxes are needed to maintain vital welfare, education and health care services. —

Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024 Paramount Pictures will back Damien Chazelle‘s next feature film. —

Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024 But through an effort spearheaded by a group of artists and backed by a major hip-hop star, an interactive amusement park filled with unique pieces has been brought back into action for today's audience. —

Melissa Adan, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back.' 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

Noun

Middle English, from Old English bæc; akin to Old High German bah back, Old Norse bak

Adverb

Middle English bac, aphetic form of abak aback

Adjective

Middle English, partly attributive use of bac, back back entry 1, partly derivative of back back entry 2

Verb

verbal derivative of back entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of back was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing back

Articles Related to back

Back Words

Words ending in 'back'

Parts of a Book: Quire, Colophon, and...

There are a lot of chapters in this collection.

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When a meeting is pushed, but you don't know what that means

Cite this Entry

Style

“Back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

back

1 of 4 noun

ˈbak

: the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine

: the corresponding part of a four-footed or lower animal

: the part of something that is opposite or away from the front part

: something at or on the back for support

back of a chair

: a position in some games (as football or soccer) behind the front line of players

: a player in this position

backed

ˈbakt

adjective

backless

ˈbak-ləs

adjective

back

2 of 4 adverb

: to, toward, or at the rear

: in or into the past : ago

: in or into a reclining position

: under control : in check

held back

: to, toward, or in a place from which a person or thing came

: in return or reply

write back

talk back

back

3 of 4 adjective

: being at or in the back

back door

: distant from a central or main area

back roads

: not yet paid : overdue

back rent

: no longer current

back issues of a magazine

back

4 of 4 verb

: to give aid or support to

: to move or cause to move back or backward

: to shift in a counterclockwise direction

the wind backed around

: to provide with a back

backer noun

Medical Definition

back

noun

ˈbak

: the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine

: the corresponding part of a lower animal (as a quadruped)

: spinal column

: the part of the upper surface of the tongue behind the front and lying opposite the soft palate when the tongue is at rest

Legal Definition

back

adjective

: being overdue or in arrears

back rent

: being retroactive especially as compensation

reinstated with back pay

Geographical Definition

Back

geographical name

ˈbak

river 605 miles (974 kilometers) long in Nunavut, Canada, rising along the border with the Northwest Territories and flowing east-northeast into the Arctic Ocean

Last Updated: 14 Apr 2024 - Updated example sentences

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back

noun

adverb

adjective

verb

Synonyms

Examples of back in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near back

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition

Geographical Definition

geographical name