1
as in to testify (to)
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in makeshift
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back (up)
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
Eichenberg was pleased to sign a one-year contract and to be able to continue his career with the team that drafted him, in a role that likely would include serving as the top backup at the three interior line positions.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Carrying personal safety alarms and backup portable chargers can help travelers in a pinch, and investing in a good lock is key.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Noun
The cops were rushing to assist a fellow officer, who requested backup after a prisoner inside the psych ward began resisting arrest, the sources said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
Eichenberg was pleased to sign a one-year contract and to be able to continue his career with the team that drafted him, in a role that likely would include serving as the top backup at the three interior line positions.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The 130,000-square-foot facility on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will include eight separate lab spaces, nine heavy-lift cranes, a backup generator, and administrative and other support spaces.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Carrying personal safety alarms and backup portable chargers can help travelers in a pinch, and investing in a good lock is key.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
Verb
-
These showers will gel into a steadier rain Thursday night into Friday morning.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Here, Segall abandons all instruments to concentrate on vocals, leaving his session players to gel into a real band.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drawing from much more than the caustic hardcore the group have made their name on, Man Bites Dog throws jock jams, late-aughts electro-pop, and industrial into a huge Margaritaville-sized blender.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Best Way To Store Opened Jam While unopened jars of jam can be safely stored in a cool, dry cupboard or pantry, opened jars should always be refrigerated.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After the Maduro regime barred Machado, both academic Corina Yoris and former presidential candidate Manuel Rosales were considered as possible replacements.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Bryan Griffin, the founder of Patriot Maids Cleaning Services, agrees and says regular replacement will help prevent the spread of germs and maintain better kitchen hygiene.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At the event Saturday, some attendees quietly sipped coffee in anticipation, while others grabbed a friend, significant other and hit a makeshift dance floor next to the order line.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
-
All the chickens, turkeys, goats, and pigs carry a certain odor, their makeshift habitat a distinct unsightliness, which disagree with Bruce and his husband Darrell’s more regal tastes.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rodriguez said this is the first time CPAOM, which was born out of the pandemic in 2020, has done such an audit.—
Beki San Martin,
Freep.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In reality, Real Kashmir FC was born out of the devastating Kashmir floods of 2014, which killed around 550 people in India and Pakistan.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Do not use warm or hot water since this can actually cause the blood to coagulate.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The honey was too thick and caused the sauce to kind of coagulate.—
Brittany Loggins,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Wolfsburg substitute Mattias Svanberg restored his team’s lead eight minutes later, but Gruda replied in the 89th to salvage a point for Leipzig after its German Cup exit to Bayern Munich.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Salmon had already appeared for Arsenal as a substitute in the previous round against Portsmouth, as well as in Champions League win away to Club Brugge.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For their part, the proxy advisory firms began grading directors based on climate impact and other ESG topics instead of the financial performance of their companies.—
Robert Profusek,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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His family emigrated to escape the proxy Cold War conflicts that ravaged the nation from 1978 to 1990.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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