1
as in to testify (to)
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in makeshift
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back (up)
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
The charge is essentially a backup should the murder case fall apart.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Fiber‑optic cable maker Sterlite Technologies , backup power generator manufacturer Cummins India , and wires and cables company Polycab India are also part of Macquarie’s basket.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Noun
There was no plumbing backup, of course — there is no actual plumbing on the Orion spacecraft, as urine is vented out into space and fecal matter is collected for later disposal.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
The charge is essentially a backup should the murder case fall apart.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Regardless, Leite’s departure means the Valkyries will be in the market for a backup point guard, whether through free agency or in the WNBA amateur draft, which is set for April 13.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Fiber‑optic cable maker Sterlite Technologies , backup power generator manufacturer Cummins India , and wires and cables company Polycab India are also part of Macquarie’s basket.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
Verb
-
There was no guarantee this collection of players would gel at all, let alone at the exact right time.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Jarocki molded that talent and got it to gel at the perfect time with decisive wins over Arapahoe in the Great 8 and Denver East in the Final 4 before beating Northfield 54-51 in a back-and-forth championship.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Karla Brustad has put on sing-alongs, strum alongs, hootenannies and all sorts of free community jams, getting folks singing and playing the ukulele.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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In the season opener against Lemont, Sokolnicki entered the game with two runners on base and no outs in the top of the seventh inning and worked his way out of the jam with just three pitches.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 24-year-old right-hander made his major league debut as a late replacement for right-hander Ryan Johnson, who fell ill, and had to bob and weave through the early innings.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But in most cities wholesale replacement is logistically impossible.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Eventually, Pearlene collapsed and died inside a makeshift bathroom in the family’s trailer, which had no running water or electricity.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Further inspection found a Mexican citizen scrunched into a makeshift, dry compartment in the gas tank that February day.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wildlife officials attempted to lure the bear out using bait, lights and noise, but the animal continued returning to the space.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
That lack of awareness is borne out in the data.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
2 Apr. 2026
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
-
Two dented blue bottles of Cuajo Titanium, a liquid coagulating enzyme used to curdle milk, remained on a wooden table, caked in mud.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Students — too young to know her career — treated her like any other substitute.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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The charismatic presence of both the leading and supporting actors doesn’t so much fill out the personalities as substitute for them.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fighting that began with the US-Israeli strikes on Iran has spread to involve proxy groups backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah, which operates in southern Lebanon.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, the conference exposed deep divisions within the Western alliance over how to confront Iran’s missile program and destabilizing proxy forces, as Hussein Ibish wrote at the time for the Arab Gulf States Institute.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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