1
2
3
as in backward
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
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Few might have imagined that the touchscreen technology that rules the world of devices today was actually ideated back in the 1960s.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
His chronic back condition was still clearly an issue last spring, leading to him being left off the opening day roster.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Robert Frank,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
And he's got a major music icon backing him up; Jay-Z recently signed him to Roc Nation.
—Georgia Dawkins, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Archaeologists have traced the cultivation of the date palm—also known as Phoenix dactylifera—back millennia.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back
Adverb
With their former star available, Robert Kraft decided to dismiss Mayo and bring Vrabel back to New England.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Few might have imagined that the touchscreen technology that rules the world of devices today was actually ideated back in the 1960s.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
The country is also weighing a potential $7 billion lease and lease-back deal for its crude oil pipeline network — following similar moves in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent years.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
His chronic back condition was still clearly an issue last spring, leading to him being left off the opening day roster.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Gerber is a long-time Tesla investor and now holds shares in SpaceX after his firm previously backed Musk's leveraged buyout of Twitter in 2022.
—Robert Frank,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
And he's got a major music icon backing him up; Jay-Z recently signed him to Roc Nation.
—Georgia Dawkins, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The visit concluded with Catherine sewing a back pocket onto a pair of the brand’s men’s Hack jeans as a gift for the Prince of Wales.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Archaeologists have traced the cultivation of the date palm—also known as Phoenix dactylifera—back millennia.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back
Adverb
-
Sullivan, raised in Massachusetts and now based in New York, started her gallery as a hybrid space straddling the worlds of decorative arts and fine art, of things made yesterday and over a century ago.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Some years ago, The Andrea, a seasonal seafood restaurant on the west end of Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, posted a black-and-white photo on Facebook showing a line of cars buried in the sand.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
That would put a dent in downtown’s office vacancy rate, which has hovered around 38% lately, according to CBRE.—
Jon Murray,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
But even though modern-day antidepressants have been around for decades — the Food and Drug Administration approved Prozac for depression treatment in 1987 — there is very little information about long-term use.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
At one point, NBC’s color commentator Cris Collinsworth openly wondered how many yards Walker had picked up after going backward.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In a 76-73 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday night, Fears swung his leg backward into Langston Reynolds’ groin area after the whistle when Reynolds was called for a foul on Fears.—
Larry Lage,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His arms can be animated too – operated by gogs on the rear of his body.—
Rich Owen,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Dogs sniff each other’s rears, African elephants swing their trunks, and songbirds peck at one another’s feathers.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
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
-
Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September while speaking at a Utah university, established Turning Point USA in 2012 to encourage young people to engage in free speech and advocate for conservative policies.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
6 Feb. 2026
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The letter goes on to also advocate for more long-term investments in making transit a reliable means of getting to San Diego’s most popular destinations.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
She was also charged with concealing and aiding a fugitive, but that charge was later dropped.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Choose Iowa gives food banks more options A state program bringing together farmers and consumers also has played a role in aiding food banks.—
F. Amanda Tugade,
Des Moines Register,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The new edition will debut at Cosmoprof Miami in 2026, marking the next release within the Odyssey collection and reinforcing the brand’s ongoing interest in continuity and reinterpretation.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
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The title is also riding high across South Asia, including chart-topping or near-the-top placement in markets such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, reinforcing the film’s regional pull beyond its home base.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2026
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 10 Feb. 2026.
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