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
The helicopters' role was to de-escalate the situation by trying to engage with the pilot while the armed F-16s provided backup. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 3 July 2026 The Air Force’s two existing VC-25A Air Force One aircraft remain in service, as evidenced by the one serving today as a backup. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
Adjective
With Ayton’s departure, the Lakers are on the hunt for a backup center. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 For example, telecommunication companies are elevating equipment above flood lines and equipping cell sites with backup batteries to ensure continuous operation during and after major storms. — Sylvain Johansson, Fortune, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
  1. bear out
  2. gel
  3. jam
  4. replacement
  5. makeshift
  6. coagulate
  7. substitute
  8. proxy
Verb
  • This isn’t a talking point; it’s genuinely borne out by the numbers, both scores and earnings.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Japan's famed kei cars were born out of the country's post-war need for affordable, practical transportation.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
Definition of bear out
Verb
  • Here, her natural hair was styled in a sleek, avant-garde aesthetic that gelled her front layer in a sharp wave over her forehead.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
  • Its remaining five songs seem to appear at random, never gelling into a cohesive force or threading a narrative.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
Definition of gel
Noun
  • The nearly 3,000-foot-long train was patiently idling beside the platform at East Perth Terminal, where a spread of scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream, and Bollinger champagne welcomed eager travelers.
    — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • Cottage Kitchen offers preserves and spreads made from wild- and farm-sourced ingredients, like Chandler strawberry jam and hot-pepper jelly.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • But for all Regragui’s success, replacement Mohammed Ouahbi is even more closely aligned to the national team DNA, having been in charge of the victorious under-20s side prior to stepping up.
    — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • The lawsuit alleges the replacement tickets many fans were given by StubHub were worse than their original tickets.
    — Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • In a victory march across the makeshift bridge, the soldiers transported 140 Carthaginian elephants from Sicily to Rome’s Circus Maximus, according to the first-century historian Pliny the Elder.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • One photo depicts a person curled up on a piece of cardboard, using a pillow and, as a makeshift blanket, a tarp.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of makeshift
Verb
  • 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
  • If an egg cracks during boiling, vinegar can help the egg white coagulate faster, preventing it from leaking into the water.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of coagulate
Noun
  • There’s also no substitute for the sense of control, purpose, and fulfillment that comes from creating and executing a vision.
    — Naveen Jain, Fortune, 9 July 2026
  • Rohmer’s great literary achievement is twofold—artistic success and worldly failure—which gave rise to his cinema of substitute gratifications, second chances, and miraculous redemptions.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • Evans also said that teenagers as young as 15 have been arrested by police in relation to proxy plots.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Indeed, as Cloudflare expands from reverse-proxy and cybersecurity protection into hosting, storage, and compute, CSAM litigation may emerge as a governance, regulatory, and business-model risk.
    — Bhakti Mirchandani, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of proxy

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 13 Jul. 2026.

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