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back

/bæk/noun, verb, adjective, adverb1 syllable

Back means: related to or located at the back.

Synonyms for back39

noun, as in the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord

spinal column, vertebral column, spine, backbone, rachis

noun, as in the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book

binding, book binding, cover

noun, as in the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine

dorsum

noun, as in the side that goes last or is not normally seen

noun, as in the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer

noun, as in a support that you can lean against while sitting

backrest

verb, as in be behind; approve of

endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support, second

verb, as in give support or one's approval to

second, endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support

verb, as in place a bet on

bet on, gage, stake, game, punt

verb, as in establish as valid or genuine

back up

adjective, as in related to or located at the back

backmost, hindermost, hindmost, rearmost, rear, rearward, aft, posterior

adjective, as in located at or near the back of an animal

adjective, as in of an earlier date

noncurrent

adverb, as in at or to or toward the back or rear

backward, backwards, rearward, rearwards

adverb, as in in or to or toward a past time

also used for back

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of back

What does back mean?28

adjective

1

related to or located at the back“the back yard”

2

located at or near the back of an animal“back (or hind) legs”

3

of an earlier date“back issues of the magazine”

verb

1

be behind; approve of“He plumped for the Labor Party”

2

give support or one's approval to“I'll second that motion”

3

place a bet on“Which horse are you backing?”

4

establish as valid or genuine“Can you back up your claims?”

5

travel backward“back into the driveway”

6

cause to travel backward“back the car into the parking spot”

7

support financial backing for“back this enterprise”

8

be in back of“My garage backs their yard”

9

shift to a counterclockwise direction“the wind backed”

10

strengthen by providing with a back or backing

noun

1

the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord“the fall broke his back”

2

the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book“the book had a leather binding”

3

the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine“his back was nicely tanned”

4

the side that goes last or is not normally seen“he wrote the date on the back of the photograph”

5

the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer“he stood at the back of the stage”

6

a support that you can lean against while sitting“the back of the dental chair was adjustable”

7

(football) a person who plays in the backfield

8

the part of a garment that covers the back of your body“they pinned a ‘kick me’ sign on his back”

9

(American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage

adverb

1

at or to or toward the back or rear“he moved back”

2

in or to or toward a past time“set the clocks back an hour”

3

in or to or toward a former location“she went back to her parents' house”

4

in or to or toward an original condition“he went back to sleep”

5

in reply“he wrote back three days later”

6

in repayment or retaliation“we paid back everything we had borrowed”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with back?32

Show 40 near rhymes

All 32 rhymes for back, grouped by syllable

Back in a sentence

  • Say it to his face, not behind his back.CK
  • Once gone, you will never get it back.ToxicFriu
  • Once you leave here, you can't come back again.CK
  • Due to the intense sunlight, his back was sunburnt.shekitten
  • Dark as it was, we managed to find our way back to our tent.Swift
  • If you sit back and rest, you will feel much better.CK
  • Another half hour, and our master will be back here.AlanF_US
  • To our relief, he came back safe and sound.CM

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of back

as a noun

plural
backs

as a verb

past tense
backed
present participle
backing
third-person singular
backs
past participle
backed