back 1 of 4

adverb

Definition of backnext
1
as in ago
earlier than the present time that's longer back than I can remember

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in around
toward the opposite direction turned back for one last comment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in backward
toward the rear concert security asked the crowd to move back

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

back

2 of 4

noun

ˈbak How to pronounce back (audio)
1
as in rear
a behind part or surface the back of the page was blank

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jugular
a vulnerable point a candidate needing a loyal aide who can be relied upon to always watch his back

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back

3 of 4

verb

1
as in to advocate
to promote the interests or cause of she enthusiastically backed the plan to renovate and upgrade the school's facilities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to aid
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end a number of influential people have already agreed to back the candidate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) the author needs to back her thesis with more facts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

back

4 of 4

adjective

as in hind
being at or in the part of something opposite the front part she carried all the presents in the back door, as the children were playing in the front yard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word back different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of back are advocate, champion, support, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can advocate be used instead of back?

While the synonyms advocate and back are close in meaning, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

Where would champion be a reasonable alternative to back?

The words champion and back are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When might support be a better fit than back?

In some situations, the words support and back are roughly equivalent. However, support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

When is it sensible to use uphold instead of back?

The words uphold and back can be used in similar contexts, but uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of back
Adverb
Here was Adam at the door, back from his afternoon trip to the dentist. — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 The show filmed across North Texas, including in Weatherford and Fort Worth, back in 2021. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
Our expert take The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card features rewards rates that match many of the top cash-back credit cards. — Ryley Amond,jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Colin covered the front of the house; Christine worked the back. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
Police said Ceesay was carrying a note with a list of other businesses in the region that back the local LGBTQIA+ community. — Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Under the new partnership, PMG will back Kaskade’s push into Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and Greater China, building out brand tie-ins and growth plans suited to each market. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Andrade flew in and hit a back elbow on Wayne and vultured the pin. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Chan’s parents always treated their back pain from laborious food industry jobs with acupuncture and cupping, the practice of using cups or suction on the skin to stimulate blood flow and the flow of chi, or energy. — Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back
  1. ago
  2. around
  3. backward
  4. rear
  5. jugular
  6. advocate
  7. aid
  8. reinforce
Adverb
  • In addition to modular dorms, there are many large glass buildings in the Dysonplex (as Allure’s former senior writer Brennan Kilbane dubbed it after his own visit six years ago).
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Only once has the make-up of the WSL’s top four changed since United entered the league in 2019 — when Liverpool, under the late Matt Beard, finished fourth two years ago.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ago
Adverb
  • For all the headlines of the past month, not having general manager Mike Lombardi (who’s on administrative leave) around on a game day is probably a net positive for UNC football.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • So the first-year guard had to wait around and trust that his new team would figure out a way to get him in the door.
    — Tony East, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of around
Adverb
  • By sending light through the fiber and measuring how that light changes, engineers can work backward to determine what happened to the fiber.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Marazzi and co-screenwriter Valia Santella ground their non-linear narrative by using the date of July 14, 1937 as a jumping-off point to move backwards and forwards in time through the recollections and point of view of the title character.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of backward
Noun
  • The 39-year-old, who has been arrested multiple times in Burbank and Glendale, was taken into custody on suspicion of violating terms of his probation from a previous arrest linked to sniffing women’s rears.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Christian reportedly denied consuming drugs or alcohol and had trouble maintaining balance when he was asked to walk to the rear of his car.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rear
Noun
  • And then Alvarez went for the jugular with a grand slam to deep center field.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
  • The president’s instinct to go for the jugular was on display in his first campaign, when he was written off early on as an entertainer but found success with brutal takedowns.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Definition of jugular
Verb
  • Environmental groups advocated for SB 954 over concerns that the CEQA exemption could allow heavily polluting facilities to bypass environmental review.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Insisting on tax cuts and voting for politicians who will, of course, advocate them, has exacerbated the problem.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of advocate
Verb
  • That has also helped the firm navigate its huge investment plans at a time when many projects in the kingdom are scaling back spending — aided by a $3 billion partnership with Blackstone to fund its data center deals.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Childcare assistance, funded by the federal government with help from states, is supposed to aid working parents who are low-income, homeless or caring for foster children.
    — Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of aid
Verb
  • The look also pulls from indie sleaze, which Trendalytics reports is up 80% in social buzz, reinforcing the messy, early-2000s finish that defines the trend.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Both formulas pair moisture-drawing glycerin with pea peptide and a trio of ceramides to condition and reinforce dry, stressed hair.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of reinforce

Phrases Containing back

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baches
back
backache
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Cite this Entry

“Back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on back

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about back

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