back 1 of 4

1
as in ago
earlier than the present time that's longer back than I can remember

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

back

2 of 4

noun

1
as in rear
a behind part or surface the back of the page was blank

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2
as in jugular
a vulnerable point a candidate needing a loyal aide who can be relied upon to always watch his back

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back

3 of 4

verb

1
2
3
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) the author needs to back her thesis with more facts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

back

4 of 4

adjective

as in hind
being at or in the part of something opposite the front part she carried all the presents in the back door, as the children were playing in the front yard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word back different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of back are advocate, champion, support, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can advocate be used instead of back?

While the synonyms advocate and back are close in meaning, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

Where would champion be a reasonable alternative to back?

The words champion and back are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When might support be a better fit than back?

In some situations, the words support and back are roughly equivalent. However, support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

When is it sensible to use uphold instead of back?

The words uphold and back can be used in similar contexts, but uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of back
Adverb
The graft is secured with sutures and the incision in the elbow is stitched back together. Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025 When coming to a flooded road, turn around and head back. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
Shop our top 10 picks below, including multiple back-in-stock and best-selling options. Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 The front-of-package label, if adopted, would be in addition to the Standard Nutrition label on the back or side of the package. Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Fortunately, reinforcements had been called in, and cheers erupted as a second truck backed into the shopping center parking lot. Jenny Abamu, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025 His firm has also backed tech equity initiatives in the region for underserved communities in recent years. Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The back strap is enriched with the signature Ribbon buckle, also in a metallic silver. Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025 After several minutes, officers heard a single shot fired from inside, toward what was believed to be in the direction of the other officers at the back door, the report states. David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back
Adverb
  • Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss The Winklevoss twins became some of the first cryptocurrency billionaires after using a multi-million-dollar legal settlement from Mark Zuckerberg to invest in Bitcoin more than a decade ago.
    Melanie Hicken, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • That was the opposite decision of Joe Biden, who allowed Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen on a sensitive New York City stopover two years ago.
    Zhou Bo, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • And rather than being designed in a Top Secret military facility—literally, Area 51, used for the U-2—at the expense of billions of taxpayer dollars, Planet’s doing it with around six hundred employees and hardly a security clearance in sight.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Wood was a radio announcer and jazz disc jockey and took DeJohnette around to clubs.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Police said a preliminary investigation indicated that following the initial collision between the Chevrolet Camero and Ford Fusion, the semi-truck hit the Camaro in the rear.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • People think that the rear of the aircraft is bad.
    Sherri Gordon, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The actress manages to pull this off with subtlety and grace in a movie that could have easily gone straight for the emotional jugular.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Two months before Twilight kicked off the glittery vampire craze, Alan Ball’s True Blood had already put an original, sexy spin on the jugular-draining genre.
    Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The suppression of Black voters well into the twentieth century was only ended (for the most part) with the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA), after a long and dangerous fight that saw multiple incidents of deadly violence against those advocating for equal access to the ballot.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The film lays bare the tensions and paradoxes of nuclear deterrence, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which advocates for nuclear arms control.
    Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • By aiding mariners, Airy believed, such measurements provided a tangible service to the state that the newfangled spectroscopy might not be able to match.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Michael Kayode’s cannonball long throws, which Slot said Liverpool had practised defending on Friday and spoken about again on Saturday, were a constant problem, but the visitors repeatedly, and needlessly, aided Brentford by putting the ball out of play in their own defensive third.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • These past two days have reinforced for me the importance of codifying principles and creating a road map to achieve them.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
  • As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Walking backward could have meaningful benefits for joint health, chronic pain and even brain health, and there's scientific evidence to back it up.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • To start with a wedding, then wait ’til later to figure out the details of who washes the dishes and whether the toilet seat stays down, sounds backwards but is certainly better than hostage-taking and war without an achievable end.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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