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
With a short week to prepare for Thursday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium, Fagnano is expected to start, with Reed serving as his backup. — Cbs Baltimore, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 The Jaguars jumped on the Colts, scoring touchdowns on three of their first five possessions and opening up a 28-0 lead late in the second quarter thanks to backup safety Rayuan Lane’s 92-yard interception return. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Adjective
The Ukrainian government has also used SpaceX’s Starlink satellite terminals—paid for by the United States and European countries such as Poland and Germany—as a backup communications system. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026 Their bench even has some guys providing excellent backup options. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
  1. gel
  2. jam
  3. replacement
  4. makeshift
  5. coagulate
  6. substitute
  7. proxy
  8. harden
Verb
  • Gash’s weakest moments come in times like these, when the band strips back its sound into solitary parts that fail to gel.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Nowhere has that been more evident than in Mbappe and Vinicius Jr’s failure to gel together.
    — Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of gel
Noun
  • Hines put back a Mullins miss from beyond the arc with a one-handed jam and Landrew went on a personal 11-3 run with makes from all three levels.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The savory vol-au-vent with pear and onion jam, tart tamarind and pecorino cheese is ambitious, but the pastry itself was a bit heavy, the layers not quite flaky enough for the abundant stuffing.
    — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • And while Proctor’s replacement Jarrett Kingston certainly had a blunder or two, it was left guard Jonah Savaiinaea that gave up a couple sacks.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The airline safely operated the engine for 12 additional cycles before securing a replacement.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • Most of the people arriving from Cuba at the height of the influx in 2022 and 2023 came in groups on makeshift vessels, not by smugglers.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Some injured passengers and crew members were taken to a sports hall as makeshift emergency stations were set up, Manuel Galán, the mayor ​of ​Urda near the ​city of Toledo, said, per The Guardian.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of makeshift
Verb
  • These high-acidity juices can cause whey protein powder to coagulate and curdle.
    — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Reciprocal male-on-male mounting among corpse-eating burying beetles increases with heat stress, and chronic heat stress coagulates the blood of Holstein Friesian cattle.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of coagulate
Noun
  • What subscription biomarker testing cannot replace Experts caution that these panels are a supplement, not a substitute, for primary care.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Severe altitude illness is treated by descending and getting medical care – another cup of coca tea is not an adequate substitute.
    — Andrés Henao, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • Is that the kind of hubristic myth-of-genius move that often drives proxy firms and large shareholders crazy?
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The two grueling proxy battles and the 2023 Hollywood strikes are also part of the story, the publisher says.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of proxy
Verb
  • The building materials are fire-resistant, as are the windows, and the eaves are fire-hardened as well.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The process, called cured-in-place pipe lining, involves inserting a flexible liner into the old pipe, inflating it and hardening it in place.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of harden

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 4 Nov. 2026.

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