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
Andrew Wylie has been the team’s primary backup left tackle throughout camp and took over for Tunsil for the remainder of Saturday’s practice. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 The former Florida Gator will help the Panthers get through training camp and through their next three preseason games without overburdening backup Kenny Pickett and starter Bryce Young. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
Adjective
This has created opportunities for others, while backup QB Tyrod Taylor also had a strong outing. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The Miami Dolphins might’ve figured out their backup tackle situation. — Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 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
  • Both have had time to gel as a squad, and both have managers who know how to get over the line.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of gel
Noun
  • The inside is lined with a spread like Nutella, cookie butter, strawberry jam or peanut butter, then filled with soft serve and finished with fruit, drizzles and toppings.
    — Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The menu seems to change, but for now, there’s a Hellraiser for a person who’s a bit of a heat-seeker with bacon, blue cheese, mozzarella and jalapeno-pistachio jam.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of jam
Noun
  • That could mean returning replacement shares or paying their current value, including dividends and other distributions that would have accrued.
    — Mark Lewyn, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2026
  • After losing one young defensive tackle for the season, the Miami Dolphins quickly got to work on finding a replacement.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of replacement
Adjective
  • This jumbled, makeshift archive reassured her about her own perceptions.
    — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • For a time, a stray tiniest doll served as the Christ Child in a makeshift crèche.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 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
  • Their dense texture makes oyster mushrooms a preferred meat substitute in many dishes.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Now that it's disappeared from store shelves, longtime devotees have launched a petition to bring it back, flooded social media with disappointment and searched for substitutes.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • And the Houthis, Iran’s Yemeni proxy terror group, attacked another Saudi ship in the Bab al-Mandeb this morning, their eighth strike on Saudi ships so far.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The attackers responded to those requests with a malicious proxy auto-configuration file.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of proxy
Verb
  • The early search web was an experimental stage where the rules had not hardened, and the feedback loop between publishers and engines was still manageable and easier to test and interpret.
    — Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Each Fernie's Frozen Espresso-tini Bar is artfully drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite, making for the ultimate pick-me-up on a stick!
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 Aug. 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 12 Aug. 2026.

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