back of

preposition

US, informal
: behind
… stood leaning against a parked car out back of the building …Peter Goldman et al.
They now sit … just two games back of the Yankees in the wild card race.Steve Buckley

Examples of back of in a Sentence

the equipment shed is a concrete structure back of the school
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
At the back of a buzzy canteen, there are a pair of meeting spaces, whose names revolve with the latest academy players to have started a Premier League game for Newcastle. George Caulkin, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Use cases for ChatGPT are far and wide, with the company generating roughly $1 billion a month off the back of roughly 700 million weekly active users for its chatbot products, reported The Information. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025 The 40-year-old hit the back of the net twice in Portugal’s 2-2 draw against Hungary to become the top goalscorer in FIFA World Cup qualifying history. Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025 The boy was handcuffed and was placed in the back of a vehicle for five hours, the attorneys said, noting that he was not allowed to contact his mother during that time. Landon Mion , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for back of

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back of was in 1694

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Cite this Entry

“Back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20of. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

back of

preposition
informal
: behind entry 2 sense 1
out back of the barn
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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