1
as in jams
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
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2
as in replacements
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backups
One of his backups, Ogbo Okoronkwo, is out for the season with a triceps injury.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Speeds feel snappy for streaming and cloud backups, and the price stays reasonable even with extras.
—PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025
The delays, coupled with TSA agents calling out sick causing backups at security checkpoints, led to the end of that shutdown.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Indeed, America’s adversaries, such as China, Russia, and Iran, as well as its allies, such as the United Kingdom and South Korea, are all exploring or implementing terrestrial backups for their GPS infrastructure.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
If that's not an option, copy backups from your external drive or cloud storage onto the new computer.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The offensive line -- playing with backups Cole Strange and Larry Borom on the right side -- acquitted itself nicely Monday.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Guard Anfernee Simons, acquired in the Holiday trade, was a three-year starter in Portland, but free agent pickups Luka Garza, Josh Minott and Chris Boucher are career backups, and Hugo Gonzalez is a 19-year-old rookie.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Speeds feel snappy for streaming and cloud backups, and the price stays reasonable even with extras.
—PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025
The delays, coupled with TSA agents calling out sick causing backups at security checkpoints, led to the end of that shutdown.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Indeed, America’s adversaries, such as China, Russia, and Iran, as well as its allies, such as the United Kingdom and South Korea, are all exploring or implementing terrestrial backups for their GPS infrastructure.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
If that's not an option, copy backups from your external drive or cloud storage onto the new computer.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The offensive line -- playing with backups Cole Strange and Larry Borom on the right side -- acquitted itself nicely Monday.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Guard Anfernee Simons, acquired in the Holiday trade, was a three-year starter in Portland, but free agent pickups Luka Garza, Josh Minott and Chris Boucher are career backups, and Hugo Gonzalez is a 19-year-old rookie.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backups
Noun
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One of our favorites is a gorgeous bamboo charcuterie board that comes with ceramic bowls for jams or sauces, cheese knives, and little signs for customization.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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Its BassUp technology adds some real oomph to all your jams, and 16 hours of battery life keeps the party going.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Software engineers used to train their replacements.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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Their replacements were Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Vasily Podkolzin, Matt Savoie and Ty Emberson.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In an age dominated by artificial intelligence, where data access speed is everything, this advancement addresses one of computing’s most pressing bottlenecks.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
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If investor sentiment around AI sours, or if progress stalls owing to technological bottlenecks or supply constraints, equity prices could tumble—and, given the degree of market concentration, such an adjustment would ripple rapidly through broad market indices, affecting millions of investors.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But Sentnor was pleased with the patience the group of starters showed, noting the importance of the energy the substitutes brought to the game.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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But Moyes will be pleased by the impact made by his substitutes against Palace, Alcaraz chief among them.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backups. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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