back (up) 1 of 3

verb

Definition of back (up)next
1
as in to testify (to)

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2
as in to gel

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backup

2 of 3

noun

ˈbak-ˌəp How to pronounce backup (audio)
1
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement there was the inevitable backup of travelers trying to pass through airport security

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2
as in replacement
a person or thing that takes the place of another you didn't get the lead position, but you can be the backup to the chosen singer

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backup

3 of 3

adjective

as in makeshift

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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 (up)
Noun
Little backup in Alabama, a lot in Idaho Alabama has a three-drug lethal injection protocol. — Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Lawrence, who also started opposite then-Bengals backup Jake Browning once, is 0-3 against Cincinnati in his career. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Washington beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-31 last Sunday, as backup quarterback Marcus Mariota looked quite comfortable against the defending Super Bowl champions’ stout defense. — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Packers 17, Buccaneers 14 This felt like a must-win for the Packers against a bad Bucs team starting a backup quarterback. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
  1. gel
  2. jam
  3. replacement
  4. makeshift
  5. coagulate
  6. substitute
  7. proxy
  8. harden
Verb
  • First, Redick offered a shady response about the team gelling after superstar LeBron James departed.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This unit has plenty of opportunities to gel by November, when the schedule softens a bit before a potential playoff push.
    — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of gel
Noun
  • Despite this informal, jam-forward approach, however, Silk Fence appear to be chasing something; an understated but steady coherence gives direction to even their most wandering moments.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Western North Carolina, MGU rolled through an hour-long set of new material from Appalachian Smoke and intricate improvisational jams.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • At Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, its flagship, Anthem’s broad-network plan pays almost $100,000 for a major joint replacement, compared with $28,000 from Medicare.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Two visions of Social Security Boccia’s argument was that Social Security has become an expensive wage-replacement system that sends its largest benefits to people most capable of providing for themselves.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • The claims were made by four inmates who apparently inhabit the same unit as the Grammy-winner, including one who cooked for Combs on makeshift heating elements, offering up dishes like curry chicken, pizza and empanadas.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Not far away, armed men had been occupying makeshift barricades, blocking roads and turning some drivers away.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of makeshift
Verb
  • Reciprocal male-on-male mounting among corpse-eating burying beetles increases with heat stress, and chronic heat stress coagulates the blood of Holstein Friesian cattle.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • As most of the scientific books tell us, coagulating protein at lower temperatures produces more tender clumps; adding a little water or cream makes an omelet tenderer still.
    — Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of coagulate
Noun
  • Fight to Unite might appear to be a substitute for the missing Las Vegas festival, but bringing Punk Rock Bowling to Los Angeles has been discussed for years.
    — Dick Slaughter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There is no substitute for the human connection, human thought, human nuance.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • The conflict has also turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In the proxy statement sent out a month later, departing residents were promised five free nights in a suite at one of Dorchester’s other high-end hotels, plus a set of perks.
    — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of proxy
Verb
  • European countries have hardened their stance against Chinese imports over fears that an influx of goods like solar panels and EVs could hollow out the bloc’s industries.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The incident could further inflame tensions between the Koreas, which have no working military hotlines or other emergency communications channels as North Korea hardens its stance toward Seoul while expanding its military nuclear program.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of harden

Browse Nearby Words

backtracks
back (up)
backup
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Cite this Entry

“Back (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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