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
Slye chipped away at a lead built by Seattle's backups with coach Mike Macdonald resting his starters after a joint practice with the Seahawks' preseason finale Friday night. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 Sanders started the game and played the entire first half, mostly with Cleveland's backups against Buffalo's backups. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Now a junior, Guthrie was promoted to the varsity last season as a sophomore prospect to fill the backup role behind center. — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Another Bulldogs great, Stetson Bennett, increased the chances the Rams will keep him as the backup quarterback. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 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
  • Head coach Jimbo Fisher recruited well enough to offset those personnel losses, but no one knew how all these new players would gel, particularly redshirt freshman signal caller Jameis Winston.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Carrick using Mbeumo as a centre-forward is not new — but the way United’s forward line is gelling around him is.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gel
Noun
  • Padres closer Mason Miller allowed two baserunners and barely escaped a ninth-inning jam while facing his hometown team on his 28th birthday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • As on the age-old original, the first half of the six-minute track was sweeping in its use of orchestral augmentation, and then the second half put aside both strings and vocals to turn into a pure band jam.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • The superstructure on the Market Street Bridge over Amtrak and the Schuylkill Expressway is supposed to be partially demolished and then replaced, and replacements will be made to the sidewalk and decks adjacent to the bridge.
    — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The wireless connection can also allow equipment manufacturers to avoid adding openings specifically for battery replacement or charging.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • One day, Parton fashioned a makeshift microphone by putting a tobacco stick into the ground and placing a tin can on top, performing a show of her own.
    — Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The trailer contained a makeshift toilet fashioned from an upside-down plastic bucket, a trash bag and a toilet seat, according to prosecutors.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of makeshift
Verb
  • 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
  • If an egg cracks during boiling, vinegar can help the egg white coagulate faster, preventing it from leaking into the water.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of coagulate
Noun
  • Lawmakers could offer substitute proposals, with final votes after 100 hours of debate.
    — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Quinta de la Rosa Extra Dry White Port Perfumed with a note of pear, this offering is a great lower-alcohol substitute for gin or vodka in most cocktails but equally quaffable when splashed with tonic or seltzer.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • An aversion to outright war with the United States is part of the reason Iran developed its network of proxy militias.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Attribution Is Moving Closer To Revenue Clients no longer accept proxy metrics.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of proxy
Verb
  • Rezaei was named this month as part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Iranian officials dismiss the campaign as familiar punishment, while analysts warn decades of sanctions show pressure alone rarely forces Tehran to yield and may instead harden positions on all sides.
    — Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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