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
Amazon is planning 170 emergency backup diesel generators at the location on 61st, and 612 emergency backup generators along Colorado, enabling a combined power capacity of 2,119 megawatts. — Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2026 Two quarters after Washington linebacker Leo Chenal was carted off with a scary neck injury, backup Kain Medrano delivered the biggest play of the game. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Anyone using diesel generators for primary or backup power has to pay more for diesel. — Vidya Mani, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 Defensive end Tony Carter stuffed a rushing attempt by backup quarterback Skyler Williams for a 1-yard loss, setting the Red Wolves up with their best starting field position to that point. — Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 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
  • Ben Jones as Cooter Davenport Ben Jones played Cooter Davenport, the lovable mechanic who was always ready to help the Duke boys out of a jam, with a garage that served as both a workplace and hideout when needed.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The only problem is that the lyrics aren’t really more comprehensible than actual Katseye jams.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • The airline representative added that passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue the trip.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Recovered messages showed that after a plan to kidnap Moïse failed, the group began souring on Sanon and chose a new replacement for the Haitian president, Superior Court Justice Windelle Coq Thélot.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • While certainly an improvement on the current barriers (which are a shockingly makeshift solution for a museum that cost over $1 billion), the plaza’s main entryways will remain gated off, confirmed both Lu and Lucas Museum spokesperson Seth Fowler.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Many of these migrants navigate the passage on makeshift boats that can capsize in treacherous waters.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 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
  • Fuelled in part by the overprescription of painkillers like OxyContin in the 1990s, the market for unregulated substitutes exploded into what became regarded as an epidemic by the turn of the millennium.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Then manufacturers learned to crush cottonseed for oil to be used in soap, cooking and as a substitute for animal fats.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 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
  • Gently Scrape It Off Once the wax has fully hardened, use a dull tool, like as a butter knife or hard plastic spatula, to gently lift it off the fabric.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers say the mixture, once dried and hardened, is comparable in strength to low-grade concrete and could one day be used to build multi-story buildings on Mars.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2026.

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