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
With a consistent, steady offense, the Panthers found the end zone every possession until backups took over in the fourth quarter, giving Gates his 50th career victory.
—
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Several backups made an impact, particularly against the run.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Internal backups Those who value secure storage want extra layers of protection for all their important data.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
The Hurricanes subbed in a slew of backups on both sides of the ball after that.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
The proposal would assign a DOJ team from another district to examine device backups and cloud data obtained from an attorney, segregating any privileged content.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Security is covered with daily backups, malware scans, DDoS protection, and a free Wildcard SSL certificate to protect your site and subdomains.
—PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
Kleber’s absence means the Lakers will start the regular season with Jaxson Hayes and two-way center Christian Koloko as the backups behind starting center Deandre Ayton.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Several backups made an impact, particularly against the run.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Internal backups Those who value secure storage want extra layers of protection for all their important data.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
The Hurricanes subbed in a slew of backups on both sides of the ball after that.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
The proposal would assign a DOJ team from another district to examine device backups and cloud data obtained from an attorney, segregating any privileged content.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Security is covered with daily backups, malware scans, DDoS protection, and a free Wildcard SSL certificate to protect your site and subdomains.
—PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
Kleber’s absence means the Lakers will start the regular season with Jaxson Hayes and two-way center Christian Koloko as the backups behind starting center Deandre Ayton.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backups
Noun
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Advent Calendar Instead of chocolates, this advent calendar is filled with jams and honey to add some extra flavor to your favorite foodie’s holiday season.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
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Carr recalled Yamamoto getting into similar jams in Japan, and making pitches to get out of them.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As teams are much faster to pull the trigger on an underperforming hire, some will struggle to find competent replacements, and few will find definitive improvement.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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Beyond pipe replacements, some residents on the east side have been waiting for the city to add sidewalks and underground gutters as many communities still have a ditch gutter system to manage the water, which can be problematic for nearby homes due to flooding risk.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, production bottlenecks, labor shortages, tighter government spending, and the lack of Western technology are increasingly causing strains in the economy, Prokopenko said.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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The model, called Project Eluna, is built to help operators anticipate supply chain bottlenecks by pulling in historical and real-time data to recommend actions, ideally cutting down time needed to analyze dashboards so users can spend more time coaching their teams.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Are you destined to live a life filled solely with tofu steaks, tempeh cubes, and frozen meat substitutes?—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
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When the cost of imports rise, American firms and consumers might switch to cheaper, domestically-available substitutes.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backups. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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