back

noun \ ˈbak \

Updated on: 9 Dec 2017

Definition of back

1 a (1) : the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine

(2) : the body considered as the wearer of clothes

They were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

(3) : capacity for labor, effort, or endurance

Put your back into it!

(4) : the back considered as the seat of one's awareness of duty or failings

get off my back

(5) : the back considered as an area of vulnerability

the police officer's partner always watches his back

b : the part of a lower animal (such as a quadruped) corresponding to the human back

riding on the back of an elephant

c : spinal column

She had surgery on her back.

d : spine 1c

The title is on the book's back.

2 a : the side or surface opposite the front or face

I only saw him from the back.

: the rear part

the back of the head

the back of the mirror

; also : the farther or reverse side

wrote the number on the back of an envelope

b : something at or on the back for support

back of a chair

c : a place away from the front

sat in back

3 : a position in some games (such as football or soccer) behind the front line of players; also : a player in this position

a defensive back

—

backed

play \ˈbakt\ adjective

—

backless

play \ˈbak-ləs\ adjective

— back of one's hand or back of the hand

: a show of contempt

— back of one's mind

: the part of one's mind where thoughts and memories are stored to be drawn on

— behind one's back

: without one's knowledge

talking about me behind my back

— in back of

: behind

One day, I was sitting in the tiny parlor in back of the store …
—John McNulty

See back defined for English-language learners

See back defined for kids

Examples of back in a Sentence

She was carrying her little daughter on her back.
She has a pain in the small of her back.
I slapped him on his back to congratulate him.
She stabbed him in the back.
He was handcuffed with his hands behind his back.
a bird with a spotted back
riding on the back of a horse
a comfortable chair with a padded back

Recent Examples of back from the Web

Menu in the front, contact info on the back, the artist's name only visible on the sleeve—the designs should be immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with the uniforms at their local roti or Chinese spot.

— nate erickson, Esquire, "Anik Khan Just Found a Way to Make Merch Exciting Again," 26 Oct. 2017
When police arrived, Lindsey was on his knees in front of a crib in his daughter's room with his hands behind his back in zip ties, records state.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Indiana appeals court upholds Porter County man's conviction in wife's 2015 murder," 25 Oct. 2017
Upton wore long gown with lace sleeves with a veil pinned in the back over loose waves.

— katie van syckle, The Cut, "Kate Upton Got Married in Italy This Weekend," 5 Nov. 2017
Besides the coverage not being there, the defensive backs also missed an alarming number of tackles.

— joe juliano, Philly.com, "Five observations from Penn State's loss to Michigan State," 5 Nov. 2017
In the pic, Hazza, standing stoic in the role of the teacher, poses for your run-of-the-mill class photo (shout out to the tall kids in the back) with 29 lucky, lucky children.

— elizabeth pierson, Teen Vogue, "Harry Styles's New Music Video Will Feature 29 Children Recreating His Famous Fashion Looks," 3 Nov. 2017
Extra chairs were brought in and a smattering of standing-room-only fans gathered in the back.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "NASA solar probe named for U. of C. astrophysicist from Flossmoor to launch next summer," 2 Nov. 2017
The scene was interrupted as a truck pulled slowly down the road with a digital screen in the back that sparked to life.

— Longreads, "The RNC, Revisited," 31 Oct. 2017
Within 15 minutes, the tightness in my lower back had melted substantially, and the pain in my calves completely disappeared.

— taylore glynn, Marie Claire, "I Used CBD-Infused Beauty Products for a Month, and It Was Actually Freaking Amazing," 31 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'back.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of back

Middle English, from Old English bæc; akin to Old High German bah back, Old Norse bak

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

back Synonyms

Synonyms

rear, reverse, tail

Antonyms

face, forehead, forepart, front

Related Words

downfall, ruin, undoing; hamartia, tragic flaw

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

back

adverb

Definition of back

1 a : to, toward, or at the rear

asked the crowd to move back

b : in or into the past : backward in time

looking back on her youth

an event back in the last century

Back then, no one had ever heard of chronic fatigue syndrome.

; also : ago

several years back

met him in the street two days back

c : to or at an angle off the vertical

leaned back on his chair

d (1) : under restraint

He wanted to fight but his friends held him back.

holding back a laugh

(2) : in a delayed or retarded condition

Bad weather set the launch date back several days.

e : in an inferior or secondary position; especially : behind a competitor in points or ranking

finished three strokes back

2 a : to, toward, or in a place from which a person or thing came

She left home and never went back.

put the book back

b : to or toward a former state

went back to private life

c : in return or reply

forgot to write back

See back defined for English-language learners

Examples of back in a Sentence

The soldiers moved back from the front lines.
The police asked the crowd to move back from the scene of the accident.
He left his friends two miles back.
She turned around and looked back toward him.
a chapter beginning several pages back
He left his home and never went back.
It's time to go back home.
She took the book off the shelf and forgot to put it back.
In the opening chapter the author looks back on his youth.
an event back in the last century

Recent Examples of back from the Web

Blake Williams, a band booster whose younger brother is in the band, said the band was staying at the hotel on the way back from a marching band competition in Gordo.

— dennis pillion, AL.com, "High school band trailer carrying instruments, equipment reported stolen in Birmingham," 5 Nov. 2017
The council voted to bring back the Citizen 015 and Citizen 016 maps to the Wednesday meeting.

— laura groch, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How they voted, Nov. 5," 5 Nov. 2017
The palais abuts La Sainte-Chapelle, built by King Louis IX in the 13th century to house his collection of Christian relics, including the crown of thorns brought back from the Crusades.

— rachel donadio, The Atlantic, "A Terrorist's Brother—and France—on Trial," 4 Nov. 2017
There are so many flavour options to satisfy your cravings and bring you back to warmer weather times.

— spoon u, Teen Vogue, "8 Gluten-Free McDonald's Menu Items," 4 Nov. 2017
Key player Missouri’s Anthony Sherrils: The redshirt senior from Hogan Prep’s had his best performance of the season in his second game back from a concussion.

— aaron reiss, kansascity, "Mizzou 45, Florida 16: key moments, players and grades," 4 Nov. 2017
But this was still really cool: Timber Creek back in it after this from EZ-E...

— stephen english, star-telegram, "The little guy wins, a powerhouse goes pfft, and a bunch of teams get flattened," 4 Nov. 2017
But Louisville has a better roster than Boeheim's 2015-16 squad and five of the top eight scorers back from the team that won 25 games last season.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville basketball | Another season under a cloud, and the talent to change the story," 2 Nov. 2017
On Wednesday, that included Alissa Kretzmann, a 2012 graduate of the university who was back on campus for a speaking engagement and was waiting for the shuttle to catch a flight home to Minneapolis.

— amy lavalley, Post-Tribune, "New shuttle stop links Valparaiso to Chicago airports," 2 Nov. 2017

Origin and Etymology of back

Middle English bac, aphetic form of abak aback

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

back Synonyms

Synonyms

agone [archaic], ago, since, syne [chiefly Scottish]

Antonyms

hence

Related Words

behind, down, downward (or downwards), rearward (also rearwards); obversely, reversely; across, athwart, counter, counterclockwise, widdershins (also withershins)

Near Antonyms

clockwise, deasil

back

adjective

Definition of back

1 a : being at or in the back

back door

b : distant from a central or main area

back roads

c of a speech sound : articulated at or toward the back of the oral passage : formed deep within the mouth

back vowels

2 : having returned or been returned

3 : being in arrears : overdue

is owed several months in back pay

4 : moving or operating backward : reverse

back action with oars

5 : not current

back issues of a magazine

6 golf : constituting the final 9 holes of an 18-hole course

See back defined for English-language learners

Examples of back in a Sentence

He keeps his wallet in his back pocket.
We came in through the back entrance.
We drove on the back roads instead of the main roads.
The company owes him several months in back pay.

Recent Examples of back from the Web

Dinson remembers the play all too well, as does Lee, who watched it happen while back home in Miami, nearly 1,300 miles away.

— tom green, AL.com, "With mom in stands, Jeremiah Dinson earns 'get-back' in emotional return trip to Texas A&M," 5 Nov. 2017
Khatami’s vision for a less rigid and more tolerant Islamic Republic, established in 1979, prompted Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard — then just a paramilitary organization — to enter politics and back Iranian conservatives.

— erin cunningham, Washington Post, "Iran’s hard-liners use Trump’s rhetoric to target rivals at home," 4 Nov. 2017
Challenge: In 2016 the EC ordered Ireland to collect up to €13 billion in back taxes from Apple.

— peter coy, Bloomberg.com, "Silicon Valley Is About to Spend a Lot of Time in Court," 3 Nov. 2017
The European Commission ordered Luxembourg to collect €250m ($300m), plus interest, in back taxes from Amazon, the latest broadside from the regulator that penalises sweetheart tax deals between EU countries and multinationals.

— The Economist, "Business this week," 5 Oct. 2017
The farm was fined $750 and ordered to pay $8,458 in back wages.

— audrey dutton, idahostatesman, "They broke labor rules. We gave them $8M in farm subsidies and 8,000 foreign workers.," 1 Nov. 2017
Scott Sutter Position: Defender The Buzz: Signed in March to fill in at right back after injuries to Ramos and Alston, Sutter stepped in and became a reliable leader on the back line.

— alicia delgallo, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando City ready to rebuild, deliver results in 2018," 28 Oct. 2017
Gainsayers need only run down to a Chevrolet dealership and drive, back to back, dollar for dollar, one of the company’s anodyne family haulers and the Bolt.

— dan neil, WSJ, "Chevy Bolt: Meet the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle," 19 Oct. 2017
The Jaguars’ Keith Vasquez made a nifty catch from Rikki Mazzetti in the back right corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

— jim lindgren, San Diego U-T Preps, "El Capitan twins swipe one from Valley Center," 9 Sep. 2017

Origin and Etymology of back

Middle English, partly attributive use of bac, back ¹back, partly derivative of back ²back

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

back Synonyms

Synonyms

aft, after, hind, hinder, hindmost, posterior, rear, rearward

Antonyms

anterior, fore, forward, front, frontal

Related Words

dorsal

Near Antonyms

ventral

back

verb

Definition of back

transitive verb

1 a : to support by material or moral assistance

backing a candidate for governor

—often used with up

back up a friend in a fight

b : substantiate —often used with up

needs to back up her argument with evidence

c : to assume financial responsibility for

back a new company

d : to provide musical accompaniment for —often used with up

a singer backed up by a guitarist

2 a : to cause to go back (see ²back 1a) or in reverse

back the car into the garage

b : to articulate (a speech sound) with the tongue farther back : to form deeper within the mouth

3 a : to furnish with a rear part : to furnish with a back (see ¹back 2)

back a skirt with stiff material

b : to be at the rear part of : to be at the back (see ¹back 2) of

a row of garages back the building

intransitive verb

1 : to move backward

backed into a parking space

—often used with up

back up to give him some space

Let's back up a little to clarify what we're saying.

2 of the wind : to shift counterclockwise — compare ¹veer 2

3 : to have the rear part facing in the direction of something

The house backs onto a golf course.

—

backer

play \ˈba-kər\ noun

— back and fill

1 nautical : to manage the sails of a ship so as to keep it clear of obstructions as it floats down with the current of a river or channel

2 : to take opposite positions alternately : shilly-shally

has been back and filling on the issue

— back into

: to get into inadvertently

backed into the antiques business

See back defined for English-language learners

Examples of back in a Sentence

I'm backing him for President.
She backed the winner of the race and won a lot of money.
She backed her argument with written evidence.
She backed the singer on the guitar.
She backed into a parking space.
She backed out of the garage.
The dog kept growling but backed off cautiously.
back a skirt with stiff material

Recent Examples of back from the Web

During a gathering of the Urban League in Madison, Wisconsin, the entrepreneur and motivational speaker announced the establishment of a new Progress Center for Black Women backed by a 150 thousand-dollar fundraising initiative.

— Essence.com, "Sabrina Madison's New 'Progress Center For Black Women' Is About To Change The Game," 31 Oct. 2017
The organization, which is backed by the United Nations Environment Program, has voted to add new protections to 33 migratory species that cross international borders.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Thirty-Three Migratory Species Get New Protections," 30 Oct. 2017
But Rajoy instead adopted a hardline position that has largely been backed by the rest of Europe, which is wary of more secession movements threatening an already-fragile European Union.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Spain Votes to Take Control of Catalonia After Region Declares Independence," 27 Oct. 2017
In Alabama last month, Republicans elected former state Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore as the GOP nominee in a runoff primary election over incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, who was backed by both Messrs. McConnell and Trump.

— janet hook, WSJ, "Even With GOP Exits, Democrats Face Tough Odds Taking Senate in 2018," 25 Oct. 2017
The words of presidents Trump and Japanese president Abe have been strident, but the words are backed by movements of military hardware.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Trump's North Korea Nuke Plan? Nixon Thought of It First," 24 Oct. 2017
His Astros clinched their appearance in the Fall Classic by holding home field in each of their four ALCS games at Minute Maid Park, where they were backed by the most boisterous crowds of the season.

— jake kaplan, Houston Chronicle, "Astros advance to World Series with Game 7 win over Yankees," 22 Oct. 2017
Jake Arrieta got the win for the Cubs, pitching 6.2 innings, striking out nine and was backed by Javier Baez, who snapped an 0-for-20 hitting streak by smacking two home runs.

— scooby axson, SI.com, "How to Watch Dodgers vs. Cubs NLCS Game 5: Live Stream, TV Channel, Time," 19 Oct. 2017
Both are backed by Super PACs and have support from billionaire contributors.

— bill glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Sen. Tammy Baldwin raises $2.4 million in 3 months for Wisconsin Senate race," 12 Oct. 2017

Origin and Etymology of back

verbal derivative of ¹back

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1548

See Words from the same year

back Synonyms

Synonyms

advocate, support, champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, plump (for), plunk (for) or plonk (for)

Antonyms

hinder

Related Words

adopt, embrace, espouse; abet, aid, assist, help, prop (up), second, side (with); backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce (also reenforce); advance, forward, further; plug, preach, talk up; bail out, deliver, rescue, save

Near Antonyms

baffle, foil, frustrate, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart; desert, disappoint, fail, let down

Synonym Discussion of back

support, uphold, advocate, back, champion mean to favor actively one that meets opposition. support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

- supports waterfront development

uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

- upheld the legitimacy of the military action

advocate stresses urging or pleading.

- advocated prison reform

back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

- refusing to back the call for sanctions

champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

- championed the rights of children

recede, retreat, retract, back mean to move backward. recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space.

- the flood waters gradually receded

retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached.

- retreating soldiers

retract implies drawing back from an extended position.

- a cat retracting its claws

back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion.

- backed off on the throttle

Back

geographical name \ ˈbak \

Definition of Back

river 605 miles (974 kilometers) long in Nunavut, Canada, rising along the border with the Northwest Territories and flowing east-northeast into the Arctic Ocean

BACK Defined for English Language Learners

back

noun

Definition of back for English Language Learners

: the rear part of the body : the part of the body that is opposite to the stomach and chest and that goes from the neck to the top of the legs
: the part of an animal that is like a person's back
: the side or surface of something that is opposite the front or face : the rear side or surface of something

back

adverb

Definition of back for English Language Learners

: in, toward, or at the back or rear
: to, toward, or in the place where someone or something was previously
: in or into the past : backward in time

back

adjective

Definition of back for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the back : located at the back
: far from a central or main area
: not yet paid : owed from an earlier time

back

verb

Definition of back for English Language Learners

: to give help to (someone)
: to bet on (someone or something)
: to provide evidence that supports (something)

BACK Defined for Kids

back

noun \ ˈbak \

Definition of back for Students

1 : the rear part of the human body from the neck to the end of the spine : the upper part of the body of an animal

2 : the part of something that is opposite or away from the front part

3 : a player in a team game who plays behind the forward line of players

—

backed

\ˈbakt\ adjective

a high-backed chair

back

adverb

Definition of back for Students

1 : to, toward, or at the rear

The crowd moved back.

2 : in or to a former time, state, or place

I started working here some years back.

I'll be right back.

3 : under control

I kept back my anger.

4 : in return or reply

Please write back.

Give me back my bike.

— back and forth

1 : toward the back and then toward the front

2 : between two places or people

They sailed back and forth across the lake.

back

adjective

Definition of back for Students

1 : located at the back

the back door

2 : far from a central or main area

back roads

3 : not yet paid : overdue

He owes back rent.

4 : no longer published

back issues of a magazine

back

verb

Definition of back for Students

backed; backing

1 : to give support or help to : uphold

Which candidate are you backing?

2 : to move back

She backed out of the garage.

—

backer

noun

— back down

: to stop arguing or fighting for something

You just can't back down and let people say I told you so.
—Oliver Butterworth, The Enormous Egg

— back off

: to back down

— back out

: to decide not to do something after agreeing to do it

Medical Dictionary

back

noun \ ˈbak \

medical Definition of back

1 a : the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine

b : the corresponding part of a lower animal (as a quadruped)

c : spinal column

2 : the part of the upper surface of the tongue behind the front and lying opposite the soft palate when the tongue is at rest

Law Dictionary

back

adjective

legal Definition of back

1 : being overdue or in arrears

back rent

2 : being retroactive especially as compensation

reinstated with back pay

Learn More about back

See words that rhyme with back Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for back Spanish Central: Translation of back Nglish: Translation of back for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of back for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about back

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back

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back

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back

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backer

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Back

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Definition of back for English Language Learners

back

Definition of back for English Language Learners

back

Definition of back for English Language Learners

back

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backed

back

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back

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back

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back

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Law Dictionary

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legal Definition of back

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