have (someone) back

idiom

1
: to be with (someone who has returned) again
Welcome home! It's great to have you back (with us again)!
We'd love to have you back for another visit.
He longs to have her back in his life.
The doctor said he'd like to have me back for more tests next week.
2
: to allow (someone) to return
He wants to return to his wife, but she won't have him back.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck will have back surgery Tuesday, manager Alex Cora announced early Saturday afternoon. Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2022 In so doing, Reynolds nimbly outwits his pursuers the way Jackie Chan might have back in the day. Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Nov. 2021 There were a few throws Card certainly would want to have back. Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2021 Early in the morning on Aug. 5, Farmer began to have back pain while on their way to the place just 15 minutes outside of St. Louis. Susan Szuch, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2022 Pitcher Tanner Houck will have back surgery, Alex Cora announced Saturday ... Amin Touri, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2022 Especially if form isn't perfect, the exercise can cause some guys who don’t otherwise have back pain, to feel very tight and achy in their lower back. Nick Tumminello, Men's Health, 18 Aug. 2022 Jared Goff isn't the only key offensive player the Detroit Lions will have back in the mix for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 29 Dec. 2021 The Browns hope to have back some of the nearly-two dozen players idled for the Raiders game by COVID protocol. Jim Ingraham, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'have (someone) back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near have (someone) back

Cite this Entry

“Have (someone) back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20%28someone%29%20back. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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