1
2
3
as in backward
toward the rear
concert security asked the crowd to move back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in jugular
a vulnerable point
a candidate needing a loyal aide who can be relied upon to always watch his back
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to advocate
to promote the interests or cause of
she enthusiastically backed the plan to renovate and upgrade the school's facilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to aid
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end
a number of influential people have already agreed to back the candidate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of back
Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
In another, a man falls while attempting to stand on a horse’s back.
—Nick Sullivan
april 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Video shot by a bystander showed Bostic sprawled face down on the ground as an officer knelt on his back, pulling an arm back to handcuff him.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
In Maryland, nearly 6% of residents exhibit disordered gambling behavior, up from 4% two years prior, a 2024 study backed by the Maryland Department of Health found.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Molly Lambert, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Feigl, Lorigan Wrzesinski, Leila Othman and Emma Lukin led the back line in front of Murphy.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back
Adverb
In his fourth game back, the German forward continued to play mostly 3-4-minute stints under a minutes restriction.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
In another, a man falls while attempting to stand on a horse’s back.
—Nick Sullivan
april 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
The top-end speed is limited, though, for a back who weighed in at the combine at just 202 pounds.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Video shot by a bystander showed Bostic sprawled face down on the ground as an officer knelt on his back, pulling an arm back to handcuff him.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Over hundreds of years, oaks growing along the Inner Passage absorbed the sight of angled elbows against the land, backs bent, as hundreds of men sacrificed their lives to carve canals from the swamp.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
In Maryland, nearly 6% of residents exhibit disordered gambling behavior, up from 4% two years prior, a 2024 study backed by the Maryland Department of Health found.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
In the back corner booth at a diner in Los Feliz, writer Luke Goebel is shaking off last night’s drive down from San Francisco.
—Molly Lambert, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Feigl, Lorigan Wrzesinski, Leila Othman and Emma Lukin led the back line in front of Murphy.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back
Adverb
-
Linzey Strommen broke her tailbone while roller-skating to a Taylor Swift song at her daughter’s birthday party two years ago.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The spectacular launch marked the first piloted moonshot since the end of the Apollo program 53 years ago.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Security video captured the puppy wandering around outside for about an hour before staff found her.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
However, this time around, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, opted to fly business class on Qantas, surprising some of their fellow fliers on the flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Andrew Maksymowski touched the wall, looked up at the timing board and launched himself backward in his lane for a series of emphatic splashes.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Moments after the curtain dropped to reveal the massive statue modeled after Suzuki’s signature batting stance, the bat the Baseball Hall of Famer was holding snapped and tilted backward.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At one point, Koren emailed the business tax collection agency a photo showing a van marked with The Caring Place logo in front of the Griffins' home with a woman at the rear of the vehicle.—
Terra Sullivan,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
LaCount said the rear of the tanker, which carried sodium hydroxide, separated from the explosion.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wolf packs on the hunt encircled their prey—typically elk—clamping at the jugular when their target grew weary from the chase.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The change added a room where prisoners are to be examined and prepped for either a standard peripheral IV, or a central line — a more invasive procedure that inserts into the internal jugular in the neck, a femoral vein in the upper thigh or a subclavian vein in the chest.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Elsewhere, Jefferson advocated for modeling the young nation’s government architecture on the classical tradition, due to its associations with ancient Greek and Roman democracy.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But the fact that advocates secured a last-minute correction to the ballot’s own recitals, and are now litigating the proponents’ arguments in court, changes the narrative.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in February, 2022, Colby opposed the Biden Administration’s surge of arms, military assets, and munitions to aid the country in its fight.—
Garrett M. Graff,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2026
-
One brief gives examples of how AI can aid in administrative work, such as by scheduling classroom visits.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Further reinforcing the overlap, businesses and residents increasingly are fleeing high taxes and prices in Illinois for a lower cost of living in Indiana.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
It's formulated with the label's game-changing Alpha Keratin 60KU, which nourishes the scalp, repairs damage, and reinforces hair strength.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Cite this Entry
“Back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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