backbit; backbitten; backbiting
: to say mean or spiteful things about a person (such as someone who is not present)
They beguiled the time by backbiting and intriguing against each other in a foolish kind of way.—
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
backbiter
noun
Examples of backbite in a Sentence
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There must be someone in that backbiting swamp that is Hollywood who isn’t a Brooks fan, but such a person is not to be found here.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
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Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backbite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backbite. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backbite
verb
back·bite
-ˌbīt 
backbit; backbitten; backbiting
: to say mean things about a person who is not present
backbiter
noun
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