backpack

noun

back·pack | \ ˈbak-ˌpak

Definition of backpack

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a load carried on the back

b : a camping pack (as of canvas or nylon) supported by a usually aluminum frame and carried on the back

c : knapsack

2 : a piece of equipment designed for use while being carried on the back

backpack

verb

backpacked; backpacking; backpacks

Definition of backpack (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to carry (food or equipment) on the back especially in hiking

intransitive verb

: to hike with a backpack

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Examples of backpack in a Sentence

Noun

stuffed her backpack with so many books that she could barely walk

Verb

After college, she backpacked through Europe. We're planning to go backpacking in a national park this summer.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

No longer just for schoolchildren, designers have been rethinking the backpack with adult endeavors in mind. — Max Berlinger, latimes.com, "LeBron James carries a $41,000 bag. Here's your chance to get into the man-bag game with these picks," 12 July 2018 The goats weigh between 150 to 210 pounds and can carry a backpack up to 20 percent their own body weight, according to the ranch. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, "Play golf with a goat caddie at this Oregon ranch," 9 May 2018 Johnson was carrying a black backpack containing medical supplies and the paramedic's ID, police said. — Evan Macdonald, cleveland.com, "Man accused of stealing ambulance outside Akron hospital, crashing it into utility pole," 8 May 2018 Police say one of the boys, Prince Greene, ditched a black backpack on the train. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore teen accused of fatally stabbing bicyclist on his way home from work arrested again," 1 May 2018 Officers searched the vehicle and found a backpack on the front passenger floorboard. — Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Two charged with heroin, cocaine and gun possession at Glendale hotel," 20 Feb. 2018 As the teen struggles with his attacker, a woman walks up and steals his backpack from the bench. — Alex Riggins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Police seek help to ID suspects in violent robbery on Barrio Logan trolley platform," 11 July 2018 That includes having bad posture or carrying heavy backpacks, says Paul David Sponseller, M.D., Chief of John Hopkins Medicine's Division of Pediatric Orthopedic Medicine. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "What Is Scoliosis? Princess Eugenie Just Opened Up About Her Spinal Condition," 2 July 2018 The Marshall County School District has banned students from carrying backpacks at the district's high school and two middle schools. — Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, "Marshall County school district bans backpacks after school shooting," 7 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Two American kids backpacking through England are attacked by a monster, killing one and leaving the other...changed. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "The Best '80s Horror Movies That Are Still Terrifying Today," 23 Oct. 2018 The two met in Australia while Lee was backpacking around the world to celebrate her 60th birthday. — Brett Martin, Outside Online, "Katie Lee, Our Lady of Glen Canyon," 24 May 2018 For the past few years, McWilliams, originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been backpacking around the United States and Canada, making money on odd jobs and as an outdoors survival instructor. — Patty Hodapp, Outside Online, "The Man Who Survived a Rattler, Bear, and Shark Attack," 10 July 2018 Here are seven ways to keep your backpacking gear working like new for a long, long time. — Bryan Rogala, Outside Online, "Keep Your Backpacking Gear Working Like New," 24 May 2018 White was backpacking alone and snapped photos of the grizzly before the attack. — Anchorage Daily News, "The killing of an Eagle River hiker marks the 6th fatal bear attack in Alaska in the past 10 years. Here are the others.," 21 June 2018 But for day hiking, overnight backpacking, biking, and cragging, the always-venting hard shell worked really well. — Matt Jancer, Outside Online, "A Eulogy to the Sierra Designs Ultralight Trench," 12 June 2018 The shelters are the closest spot for backpacking for Milwaukeeans, offering a slice of wilderness in the most developed part of the state. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "10 remote campsites in Wisconsin for peace and quiet," 14 May 2018 Folks come to backpack for days in the 517,000-acre Trinity Alps Wilderness or to wander along the frothy McCloud River Trail to a series of cascading falls, some as high as 50 feet. — Tim Neville, Outside Online, "The Definitive Guide to Visiting the Pacific Northwest," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backpack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.