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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to the school, one was shot in the back and another was shot in the chest. —

NBC News, 27 Nov. 2023 Also Read John Oates Releases ‘Pushin’ A Rock’ as New Face of Movember Campaign Hall, 77, and Oates, 75, last performed together in October 2022, and Hall has spent the past two years touring solo and promoting his Oates-less back catalog. —

Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 25 Nov. 2023 Though almost invisible from the street behind a high wall and secured gates, the 4,900-square-foot home stands three stories at the back, with a beach-facing covered balcony spanning the full width of the house on each floor. —

Mark David, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2023 The low-impact top features slim spaghetti straps that form a Y in the back, as well as removable cups that provide light support that’s best for cup sizes A through C. —

Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2023 Many churches and leaders turned their backs on him. —

Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 23 Nov. 2023 Kyle Orland Switching games on that 10-in-1 cartridge involves flipping a bunch of tiny dip switches on the back. —

Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023 Running back Sire Gaines is an explosive back for Orange Vista. —

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 At the makeshift studio, Vince stood at the back suggesting poses. —

Geddy Lee, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023

Adverb

And the aunt of Roni Krivoi, released on Sunday after getting kidnapped by Hamas from a music festival, told Israeli public radio station Reshet Bet that her nephew managed to escape from his captors, but local residents captured him and handed him back to Hamas. —

Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 27 Nov. 2023 The gunmen tried to beat down the door to the safe room before exiting the ship and making their way back to the shores of Yemen. —

Bradford Betz, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2023 Better yet, seven pairs of panties will only set you back $35. —

Malia Griggs, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023 The Japanese fashion designer pulls back the curtain on his creative process. —

Alexa Brazilian, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 Former President Trump's lawyers will call him back to the stand to testify in his New York civil fraud trial on Dec. 11, the attorneys said Monday. —

Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 27 Nov. 2023 The storm will have mostly moved off of the Northeast by Monday morning as people head back to school and work, with the exception of leftover rain in northern New England. —

Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 26 Nov. 2023 Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, pushed back in a in a statement this week. —

Libby Cathey, ABC News, 15 Nov. 2023 Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was supposed to premiere in May 2025, but was pushed back to May 2026 after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. —

Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023

Adjective

Broden made a spectacular grab at the back line against tight coverage, managing to get a foot inbounds to give Arkansas the 10-point lead with 48 seconds left in the half. —

Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 28 Nov. 2023 The German picked up a back knock on international duty earlier this month, and was forced to sit out Saturday's 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano which has left the Catalans four points off leaders Real Madrid and fourth place in the La Liga table. —

Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 For her, being in the house brought back happy memories: carving pumpkins on newspapers spread out over the kitchen floor; camping on the back deck in a My Little Pony tent; hiking through the nearby woods with her mother. —

Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 The back slip is a clever feature that slides seamlessly onto the back of your suitcase, ensuring efficient and hassle-free travel. —

Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2023 My husband, who is primarily a back sleeper, is also a fan and planning on getting his own. —

Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 Wemlinger suggests bringing both materials into a single item, such as mixing moire with a large-scale peony print on a chair’s seat and back upholstery, or mingling materials in one small area of a room. —

Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Nov. 2023 Its zest adds a jolt to the gentle spices of the hot dog — detectable in the vegetarian option as well — resulting in a dynamic blend of flavors to fuel a round of pinball at one of the old-school machines lining Lyman’s back hall. —

Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Each storefront has its own characters who live and work there, with their own back stories to tell. —

Dan Rys, Billboard, 15 Nov. 2023

Verb

Key Background On Tuesday, Haley received the endorsement of Americans for Prosperity Action, the super PAC backed by billionaire Charles Koch. —

Ana Faguy, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Over 100 countries have backed this deal, officials told Reuters, but countries including China and India are not yet fully on board. —

Reuters, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2023 At that time, gruesome and threatening images had started to surface in the online community backing Snyder, whose original 2017 Justice League release was unfavorably received. —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023 The influential conservative activist group backed by billionaire Charles Koch -- long thought to be a Republican kingmaker -- now plans to pour millions of dollars into a ground game supporting her candidacy. —

Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 29 Nov. 2023 But some politicians have suggested widening bans on Chinese students, and in some polls, a majority of Americans backed limiting Chinese students. —

Vivian Wang, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Notably, it was also backed by 94% of younger women, 84% of suburban women, 99% of Black women, and 92% of typically low turnout Gen Z and millennial voters. —

Glamour, 28 Nov. 2023 Other music groups and CMOs backing IMPALA’s call for action include Adami in France, the Swedish Musicians’ Union, Belgium’s PlayRight and the German Federation of Musicians. —

Richard Smirke, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2023 Jenner backed Lawrence up on her latest makeup looks. —

Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 See More

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 7 Dec. 2023.

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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: 29 Nov 2023 - 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