backboned

adjective

Definition of backbonednext
as in strong

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backboned
  1. strong
  2. tough
  3. firm
  4. principled
  5. virtuous
  6. hard
  7. moral
  8. upright
Adjective
  • After a strong start to the tournament, the reigning champions teetered on the brink of elimination throughout the knockout stage, trailing Egypt and England until the closing stages, needing extra time to overcome Cape Verde and Switzerland.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The incoming prime minister grew up in the northwest of England, a part of the country where the Catholic Church has traditionally had a strong presence, and his outlook has been shaped by Catholic teaching.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of strong
Adjective
  • White, when give the chance, has displayed a diverse offensive game, a defensive bent and an ability to make tough shots.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • The stakes for new avatar don’t feel quite as high—the specific circumstances around the former was a perfect storm that'll be tough to duplicate—but the music isn’t any less potent for it.
    — Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • That Beyoncé slot came off the back of a firm but passionate letter Nia wrote to protest the lack of a dance-music category at the UK’s MOBO awards.
    — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
  • Once-firm support for Israel has eroded within parts of the Democratic Party in the fallout from the war in Gaza.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of firm
Adjective
  • That tension — broad adoption alongside persistent, principled caution — is exactly what athenahealth’s AI on the Frontlines of Care research reflects.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Sadly, the science of monetary policy and other workhorses of monetary policy (The Phillips Curve), economic forecasting even appear to be unhelpful in Warsh's first principled approach.
    — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 22 July 2026
Definition of principled
Adjective
  • Penelope, for instance, is depicted in the poem as ever patient and virtuous while waiting for her husband to return.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 2026
  • White Southerners are victims, and the KKK is made up of virtuous saviors.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
Definition of virtuous
Adjective
  • Essentially a rock has met a hard place – at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Remember, all this hard work to discover all these things has been done in the midst of designing a ballroom, cleaning up the reflecting pool and a host of other busy things the president and his administration have been doing.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of hard
Adjective
  • The Supreme Court, Markey said, failed a moral test by allowing the president to end the humanitarian program.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • The campfire became a place where memory, music and moral knowledge passed between generations.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of moral
Adjective
  • Upright vacuums Generally, the most powerful type of Shark vacuum cleaners, upright models are ideal for high-traffic homes where a lot of dust and debris is prone to building up.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • While Wales prop Ben Warren was in the sin-bin for an upright tackle, winger Kurt-Lee Arendse crossed and South Africa finished the humid night with a try from a lineout maul by flanker Paul de Villiers, the man of the match in his third cap.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of upright
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.

Browse Nearby Words

backbone
backboned
backbones
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backboned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backboned. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All