Synonyms of backbone

backbone

noun

ˈbak-ˈbōn 

1

as in spine

a column of bones supporting the trunk of a vertebrate animal

found the backbone of a fish lying on the beach

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spine
• back
• vertebra
• spinal column
• vertebral column
• chine
• spinal cord

2

as in courage

the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship

it takes backbone to stand up to the kind of suffering that some cancer patients must endure

Synonyms & Similar Words

• courage
• fortitude
• fiber
• stamina
• grit
• guts
• bravery
• determination
• courageousness
• spunk
• endurance
• pluck
• nerve
• constancy
• intestinal fortitude
• grittiness
• tolerance
• resolution
• resoluteness
• purposefulness
• stoutness
• daring
• valor
• fearlessness
• mettle
• gallantry
• heart
• spirit
• brass
• sufferance
• forbearance
• audacity
• boldness
• dauntlessness
• intrepidity
• chutzpah
• temerity
• gall
• intrepidness
• doughtiness
• greatheartedness
• effrontery
• hardihood
• cheek
• nerviness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• spinelessness
• vacillation
• indecisiveness
• irresolution
• cowardice
• timidity
• pusillanimity
• cowardliness
• irresoluteness
• faintheartedness
• timorousness
• cravenness
• dastardliness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of backbone

Stable streaming numbers have served as the backbone to the song’s consistency, as the track rules the Rap Streaming Songs ranking for a 17th week. — Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026

Next, ProteinMPNN works its way down the backbone, placing side chains one amino acid at a time. — ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026

Both series appeal to men, who have formed the backbone of viewing on Prime Video in the Nordics, but recent successes with unscripted shows will see the content mix changing in the future. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Some Americans saw things differently, and their prescient warnings form the backbone of Hitchcock’s body politic. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026