backfill

verb

back·​fill ˈbak-ˌfil How to pronounce backfill (audio)
backfilled; backfilling; backfills

transitive + intransitive

: to refill (something, such as an excavation) usually with excavated material
backfill a trench
backfill noun

Examples of backfill in a Sentence

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.
Contract cities cannot be expected to backfill broader County budget challenges through opaque overhead charges that grow faster than the cost of actual policing. Rajiv Bhateja, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026 That’s because the county has been using reserves to backfill unused budget capacity in different county departments — an accounting move that only requires a simple majority of three votes to pass. Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026 Georgia lawmakers voted to backfill the budget gap, but families have already lost months of services and delays may last. CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 Steyer has proposed a 2027 special election if elected to close tax loopholes and reassess commercial properties at market rate and use that money to backfill federal budget cuts affecting local governments. Lia Russell february 20, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026 The goal, supervisors say, is to generate $1 billion per year to backfill the dwindling budgets of local hospitals and clinics battered by federal funding cuts. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026 Mix a bit of compost or worm castings into the soil, backfill the planting hole with soil, and water deeply to help the plant settle in. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026 For teams interested in Peralta, the Brewers’ asking price was always multiple top-100 prospects and preferably someone who could help backfill major-league innings. Chad Jennings, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026 Gently backfill the hole with soil. Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backfill was in 1874

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backfill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backfill. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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