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back

/bˈæk/ · 1 syllable

Meaning

adverb

  1. in or to or toward a former location
    “she went back to her parents' house”
  2. at or to or toward the back or rear
    “he moved back”
  3. in or to or toward an original condition
    “he went back to sleep”
  4. in or to or toward a past time
    “set the clocks back an hour”
  5. in reply
    “he wrote back three days later”
  6. in repayment or retaliation
    “we paid back everything we had borrowed”

verb

  1. be behind; approve of
    “He plumped for the Labor Party”
  2. travel backward
    “back into the driveway”
  3. give support or one's approval to
    “I'll second that motion”
  4. cause to travel backward
    “back the car into the parking spot”
  5. support financial backing for
    “back this enterprise”
  6. be in back of
    “My garage backs their yard”
  7. place a bet on
    “Which horse are you backing?”
  8. shift to a counterclockwise direction
    “the wind backed”
  9. establish as valid or genuine
    “Can you back up your claims?”
  10. strengthen by providing with a back or backing

noun

  1. the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
    “his back was nicely tanned”
  2. the side that goes last or is not normally seen
    “he wrote the date on the back of the photograph”
  3. the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer
    “he stood at the back of the stage”
  4. (football) a person who plays in the backfield
  5. the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
    “the fall broke his back”
  6. the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book
    “the book had a leather binding”
  7. the part of a garment that covers the back of your body
    “they pinned a `kick me' sign on his back”
  8. a support that you can lean against while sitting
    “the back of the dental chair was adjustable”
  9. (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage

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”

Synonyms for back

Antonyms of back

Words that rhyme with back

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