back

[ bak ]

/ bæk /

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See synonyms for: back / backed / backing on Thesaurus.com

noun

the rear part of the human body, extending from the neck to the lower end of the spine.

the part of the body of animals corresponding to the human back.

the rear portion of any part of the body: the back of the head.

the whole body, with reference to clothing: the clothes on his back.

ability for labor; effort or strength: He put his back into the task.

the part opposite to or farthest from the front; the rear part: the back of a hall.

the part that forms the rear of any object or structure: the back of a chair.

the area directly behind a person: Face the town with the river at your back and follow the main street up the hill.

the part that covers the back: the back of a jacket.

the spine or backbone: The fall broke his back.

any rear part of an object serving to support, protect, etc.: the back of a binder.

Nautical, Aeronautics. the forward side of a propeller blade (opposed to face, def. 22).

Aeronautics. the top part or upper surface of an aircraft, especially of its fuselage.

Bookbinding. the edge of a book formed where its sections are bound together.

the backs, grounds along the River Cam in back of certain colleges at Cambridge University in England: noted for their great beauty.

Architecture. extrados.

Carpentry.

the upper side of a joist, rafter, handrail, etc.
the area of interior wall between a window stool and the floor.

Mining. the roof of a stope or drift.

Sports.

a player whose regular position is behind that of players who make initial contact with the opposing team, as behind the forward line in football or nearest the player's own goal in polo.
the position occupied by this player.

verb (used with object)

to support, as with authority, influence, help, or money (often followed by up): to back a candidate;to back up a theory with facts.

to bet on: to back a horse in the race.

to cause to move backward (often followed byup): to back a car.

to furnish with a back: to back a book.

to lie at the back of; form a back or background for: a beach backed by hills.

to provide with an accompaniment: a singer backed by piano and bass.

to get upon the back of; mount.

to write or print on the back of; endorse; countersign.

Carpentry. to attach strips of wood to the upper edge of (a joist or rafter) to bring it to a desired level.

Nautical.

to alter the position of (a sail) so that the wind will strike the forward face.
to brace (yards) in backing a sail.
to reinforce the hold of (an anchor) by means of a smaller one attached to it and dropped farther away.

verb (used without object)

to go or move backward (often followed by up).

Nautical. (of wind) to change direction counterclockwise (opposed to veer).

adjective

situated at or in the rear: at the back door;back fence.

far away or removed from the front or main area, position, or rank; remote: back settlements.

belonging to the past: back files;back issues.

in arrears; overdue: back pay.

coming or going back; moving backward: back current.

Navigation. reciprocal (def. 7).

Phonetics. (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating in the back part of the mouth, as in either of the sounds of go.

Verb Phrases

back away, to retreat; withdraw: They gradually began to back away from their earlier opinion.

back down, to abandon an argument, opinion, or claim; withdraw; retreat: He backed down as soon as a member of the audience challenged his assertion.

back off,

to back down: Now that the time for action had arrived, it was too late to back off.
Textiles. to reverse (the spindle) in mule spinning prior to winding on the newly spun length of yarn.

back out (of), to fail to keep an engagement or promise; withdraw from; abandon: Two entrants have backed out of competing in the marathon.You can't back out now.

back up,

to bring (a stream of traffic) to a standstill: A stalled car backed up traffic for miles.
Printing. to print a sheet again on its other side.
Printing. to fill in (the thin copper shell of an electrotype) with metal in order to strengthen it.
to move backward: Back up into the garage.
to reinforce: We backed up the cardboard with slats so it wouldn't fall down.
to support or confirm: He backed up my story and they let us go.
Computers. to duplicate (a file or a program) as a precaution against failure.

back up for, Australian Informal. to return for more of, as another helping of food.

OTHER WORDS FOR back

20 sustain, abet, favor, assist; countenance, endorse.

30 retire, retreat, withdraw.

See synonyms for back on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR back

32 front.

See antonyms for back on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about back

back and fill,

Nautical. to trim the sails of a boat so that the wind strikes them first on the forward and then on the after side.
to change one's opinion or position; vacillate.

back and forth, South Midland U.S.

to go back and forth, as in running errands or visiting: He spent the day back and forthing to the post office.
to work in an aimless or ineffective way; expend effort with little result.

back water,

Nautical. to reverse the direction of a vessel.
to retreat from a position; withdraw an opinion: I predict that the council will back water on the tax issue.

be flat on one's back,

to be helpless or beaten: He's flat on his back after a long succession of failures.
to be confined to one's bed because of illness.

behind one's back, in one's absence; without one's knowledge; treacherously; secretly: I'd rather talk to him about it directly than discuss it behind his back.

break someone's back, to cause a person to fail, especially to cause to become bankrupt: His family's extravagance is breaking his back.

break the back of,

to complete the principal or hardest part of (a project, one's work, etc.): He finally broke the back of the problem.
to overcome; defeat: They broke the back of our union.

get off one's back, Informal. to cease to find fault with or to disturb someone: The fight started when they wouldn't get off my back.

get one's back up, Informal. to become annoyed; take offense: She gets her back up whenever someone mentions her family's influence.

get / have someone’s back, Informal. to help and protect someone if necessary, especially in a time of trouble: If he needs anything, I hope he knows I’ve got his back.Also have got someone's back .

have one's back to the wall, to be in a difficult or hopeless situation.

in back of, behind: He hid in back of the billboard.What could be in back of his strange behavior?Also back of.

on someone's back, Informal. finding fault with or disturbing someone: The boss is always on my back about promptness.

pat on the back. pat¹ (defs. 9, 11).

a stab in the back. stab (def. 12).

stab (someone) in the back. stab (def. 13).

turn one's back on,

to forsake or neglect: He was unable to turn his back on any suffering creature.
to leave behind, as in anger.

watch one’s back, Slang. to be on guard: Your assistant is gunning for your job—watch your back!

Origin of back

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bak, Old English bæc “back of the body”; cognate with Old Frisian bek, Old Saxon, Old Norse bak; perhaps from Indo-European bhogo- (unattested) “bending”; cf. bacon

synonym study for back

32. Back, hind, posterior, rear refer to something situated behind something else. Back means the opposite of front: back window. Hind, and the more formal word posterior, suggest the rearmost of two or more often similar objects: hind legs; posterior lobe. Rear is used of buildings, conveyances, etc., and in military language it is the opposite of fore: rear end of a truck; rear echelon.

usage note for back

56. Although some object to their use, the phrases in back of and the shorter—and much older— back of with the meaning “behind” are fully established as standard in American English: The car was parked ( in ) back of the house. Both phrases occur in all types of speech and writing.

OTHER WORDS FROM back

backless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH back

back up , backup

Words nearby back

bacilluria, bacillus, bacillus Calmette-Guérin, Bacillus thuringiensis, bacitracin, back, backache, back against the wall, back-alley, back anchor, back and fill

Other definitions for back (2 of 3)

back²

[ bak ]

/ bæk /

adverb

at, to, or toward the rear; backward: to step back.

in or toward the past: to look back on one's youth; They met in Chicago back in 1976.

at or toward the original starting point, place, or condition: to go back to the old neighborhood.

in direct payment or return: to pay back a loan; to answer back.

in a state of restraint or retention: to hold back the tears; to hold back salary.

in a reclining position: to lean back; to lie back.

Verb Phrases

go back on,

to be treacherous or faithless to; betray: to go back on friends.
to fail to keep; renege on: to go back on promises.

Origin of back

First recorded in 1480–90; shortening of aback

Other definitions for back (3 of 3)

back³

[ bak ]

/ bæk /

noun

a large tub, vat, or cistern used by dyers, brewers, distillers, etc., to hold liquids.

a broad-beamed ferryboat hauled across a body of water by a rope or chain.

Origin of back

First recorded in 1685–95; from Dutch bak “tub, trough,” from Late Latin bacca “water container”; compare French bac “ferryboat, punt”; see basin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use back in a sentence

Think back to the Bush-Kerry race of 2004, the Thrilla in Vanilla.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Back in New York, the slow pace and inward focus of her yoga practice was less fulfilling.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Music is a huge part of the tone of Black Dynamite overall—going back to the original 2009 movie on which the series is based.
‘Black Dynamite’ Presents Police Brutality: The Musical|Stereo Williams|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The al Qaeda-linked gunmen shot back, but only managed to injure one officer before they were taken out.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

So, Islamized teaching sends girls back home for marriage and housework, and remains exclusively for boys.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I waited three months more, in great impatience, then sent him back to the same post, to see if there might be a reply.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
Ages back—let musty geologists tell us how long ago—'twas a lake, larger than the Lake of Geneva.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
The boys were tumbling about, clinging to his legs, imploring that numerous things be brought back to them.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
With a suffocating gasp, she fell back into the chair on which she sat, and covered her face with her hands.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
She was holding the back of her chair with one hand; her loose sleeve had slipped almost to the shoulder of her uplifted arm.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for back (1 of 2)

back¹

/ (bæk) /

noun

the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvisRelated adjective: dorsal

the corresponding or upper part of an animal

the spinal column

the part or side of an object opposite the front

the part or side of anything less often seen or usedthe back of a carpet; the back of a knife

the part or side of anything that is furthest from the front or from a spectatorthe back of the stage

the convex part of somethingthe back of a hill; the back of a ship

something that supports, covers, or strengthens the rear of an object

ball games

a mainly defensive player behind a forward
the position of such a player

the part of a book to which the pages are glued or that joins the covers

mining

the side of a passage or layer nearest the surface
the earth between that level and the next

the upper surface of a joist, rafter, slate, tile, etc, when in positionCompare bed (def. 13)

at one's back behind, esp in support or pursuit

at the back of one's mind not in one's conscious thoughts

behind one's back without one's knowledge; secretly or deceitfully

break one's back to overwork or work very hard

break the back of to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)

on one's back or flat on one's back incapacitated, esp through illness

get off someone's back informal to stop criticizing or pestering someone

have on one's back to be burdened with

on someone's back informal criticizing or pestering someone

put one's back into to devote all one's strength to (a task)

put someone's back up or get someone's back up to annoy someone

see the back of to be rid of

back of beyond

the back of beyond a very remote place
Australian in such a place (esp in the phrase out back of beyond)

turn one's back on

to turn away from in anger or contempt
to refuse to help; abandon

with one's back to the wall in a difficult or desperate situation

verb (mainly tr)

(also intr) to move or cause to move backwards

to provide support, money, or encouragement for (a person, enterprise, etc)

to bet on the success ofto back a horse

to provide with a back, backing, or lining

to provide with a music accompanimenta soloist backed by an orchestra

to provide a background for; be at the back ofmountains back the town

to countersign or endorse

archaic to mount the back of

(intr; foll by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards)the house backs onto a river

(intr) (of the wind) to change direction in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the southernSee veer 1 (def. 3a)

nautical to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side

back and fill

nautical to manoeuvre the sails by alternately filling and emptying them of wind to navigate in a narrow place
to vacillate in one's opinion

adjective (prenominal)

situated behinda back lane

of the pastback issues of a magazine

owing from an earlier dateback rent

mainly US, Australian and NZ remoteback country

(of a road) not direct

moving in a backward directionback current

phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue retracted towards the soft palate, as for the vowels in English hard, fall, hot, full, fool

adverb

at, to, or towards the rear; away from something considered to be the front; backwards; behind

in, to, or towards the original starting point, place, or conditionto go back home; put the book back; my headache has come back

in or into the pastto look back on one's childhood

in reply, repayment, or retaliationto hit someone back; pay back a debt; to answer back

in checkthe dam holds back the water

in concealment; in reserveto keep something back; to hold back information

back and forth to and fro

back to front

in reverse
in disorder

See also back down, back off, back out, back up

Word Origin for back

Old English bæc; related to Old Norse bak, Old Frisian bek, Old High German bah

British Dictionary definitions for back (2 of 2)

back²

/ (bæk) /

noun

a large tub or vat, esp one used by brewers

Word Origin for back

C17: from Dutch bak tub, cistern, from Old French bac, from Vulgar Latin bacca (unattested) vessel for liquids

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with back

back

In addition to the idioms beginning with back

back against the wall
back alley
back and fill
back and forth
back away
back burner, on a
back door
back down
back in circulation
back in harness
back number
back of
back of beyond
back off
back of one's hand
back of one's mind
back on one's feet
back order
back out
back street
back the wrong horse
back to back
back to basics
back to the drawing board
back to the salt mines
back to the wall
back up
back water

also see:

a while back
behind someone's back
break one's back
break the back of
call back
choke back
come back
cut back
double back
draw back
drop back
eyes in the back of one's head
fall back
fall back on
fall over (backward)
flat on one's back
from way back
get back
get one's back up
give the shirt off one's back
go back on one's word
hang back
hark(en) back
hold back
in one's own backyard
kick back
knock back
know like a book (the back of one's hand)
left-handed (back-handed) compliment
like water off a duck's back
look back
monkey on one's back
off someone's back
pat on the back
pay back in someone's own coin
pin someone's ears back
play back
plow back
pull back
put one's back in it
put one's back up
roll back
scratch someone's back
see the back of
set back
set back on one's heels
set one back
set the clock back
sit back
slap on the back
snap back
stab in the back
take aback
take a back seat
take back
talk back
think back
throw back
turn back
turn one's back on
when someone's back is turned
with one arm tied behind one's back
you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

back

OTHER WORDS FOR back

OPPOSITES FOR back

Idioms about back

Origin of back

synonym study for back

usage note for back

OTHER WORDS FROM back

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH back

Words nearby back

Other definitions for back (2 of 3)

Origin of back

Other definitions for back (3 of 3)

Origin of back

Words related to back

How to use back in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for back (1 of 2)

Word Origin for back

British Dictionary definitions for back (2 of 2)

Word Origin for back

Other Idioms and Phrases with back