1
2
as in around
toward the opposite direction
turned back for one last comment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in backwards
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
Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 4 Oct. 2025
But at 4:31 of the third, the Eagles scratched back to within a goal on a long distance shot from Drew Fortescue off a rush started by Moore, the Bruins’ second-round pick last June.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Jessie Quinn, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Wilcox has known Tedford since the 1990s, when Wilcox was a defensive back at Oregon and Tedford was the Ducks’ offensive coordinator.
—Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Pol Ballús, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
They’re not only backed by stellar customer ratings, but also are reasonably priced.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Currently sidelined with a back injury, the guard did not play in the preseason and is expected to make his debut on the team’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, WTHR reported.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back
Adverb
The Mustangs got the ball back with help from the fifth sack of the season by Blake Thorp and marched back down the field, taking a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore Isaiah Trujillo with 1:53 left in the opening quarter.
—Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 4 Oct. 2025
But at 4:31 of the third, the Eagles scratched back to within a goal on a long distance shot from Drew Fortescue off a rush started by Moore, the Bruins’ second-round pick last June.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
Features include extra shoulder padding, back support, and mesh side panels for comfort and ventilation.
—Jessie Quinn, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Wilcox has known Tedford since the 1990s, when Wilcox was a defensive back at Oregon and Tedford was the Ducks’ offensive coordinator.
—Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
In that summer of 2022, Laporta’s board backed Xavi with a €170million ($198m; £148m at current exchange rates) transfer spend that transformed the squad — helped by their now-infamous financial ‘levers’.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
They’re not only backed by stellar customer ratings, but also are reasonably priced.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
In the video, Noel can be seen propelling herself up the steps on her back legs and making the jump onto the couch where her small dog bed was positioned.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Currently sidelined with a back injury, the guard did not play in the preseason and is expected to make his debut on the team’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, WTHR reported.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back
Adverb
-
Notably, Madison Equities a large downtown commercial real estate landlord, put the Alliance Bank Center and nine other properties up for sale en masse more than a year ago following the death of company principal Jim Crockarell.—
Mars King,
Twin Cities,
17 Oct. 2025
-
But one scholar, Anthony Grafton, who about thirty years ago published Forgers and Critics, focused on how in the early modern period, there was this enormous flourishing not only of culture but also of liars.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Fifteen superfans will walk around with disguised pre-release Pixel hardware.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The company also issued capital expenditures guidance of around $525 million for the year, less than a prior forecast of $600 million.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Two members of the airline crew can then be seen hurrying from the rear of the plane toward the fire.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Instead, Modern Buggy keeps it simple with a pair of storage cabinets on the rear of the body, including a space built to house the available electric fridge/freezer or one's own cooler.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 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
-
This year’s Animation Is Film Festival is all about advocating for the growing stature of the flourishing medium in the filmmaking capital of the world.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The Red Army Faction advocated for an immediate, armed revolution against the capitalist class in Japan.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ohio State committed wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt aided the drive with a 26-yard reception that featured a cutback across the field.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The Giants also could seek to preserve some continuity from this past season’s coaching staff to aid Vitello’s transition.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Steven Adler published an analysis showing that ChatGPT repeatedly and falsely reinforced one man’s delusions and psychological distress.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The universal love is the applause, either heard in person or received from afar, a love reinforced by the sense of an instant, intimate family—a life backstage or in the trailer, far more interesting than the often unhappy family left behind.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Their opening eight possessions featured six punts, a turnover on downs at the end of their lone productive drive and an aborted drive that went backwards in the final 64 seconds of the first half.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Penn State defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam blocked Stevens’ low, line-drive kick, and the ball caromed backward to the 35-yard line.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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 22 Oct. 2025.
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