BACKS Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

backs 1 of 2

noun

plural of back

as in rears

a behind part or surface the back of the page was blank

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as in soft spots

a vulnerable point a candidate needing a loyal aide who can be relied upon to always watch his back

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backs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of back

as in endorses

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

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as in aids

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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as in reinforces

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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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 backs

Noun

After being implanted beneath the skin of their backs, the tissues developed their own blood supply and began to contract spontaneously. — Mike McRae 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 One of these backs could be a healthy scratch for the opener. — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Defensive backs cut The Dolphins released cornerback Marco Wilson and safety Lonnie Johnson, per sources. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026 Payne and Denman are both capable of being high-level running backs this year, and the elements could make this the type of game where TCU has to run the ball over 30 times. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 James showed excellent vision and punch, and paired with Kaelon Black and Christian McCaffrey, the Niners should have three worthwhile, trustworthy backs this season. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026 Jacobs has been one of the top running backs in the NFL since he was drafted out of Alabama in the first round by the Raiders in 2019. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Hafley, who carried seven years of experience as an NFL defensive backs coach, flew to the Los Angeles area to visit Phillips and his family. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 When Jason Larimore came out as gay in 1994 in small-town Kentucky, almost everyone in his life turned their backs on him except his mom — and Dolly Parton. — Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

Defensive backs Boogsie Silvera and Amari Wallace combined for 17 stops, and linebacker Tim Thomas had six tackles. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026 The line, which belongs to the near-unanimous greatest player of all time and is still widely considered to be the pinnacle of signature athletic footwear, has fallen out of favor with hoopers, and the data backs it up. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 Many of the top GOP billionaire donors have also given to the Congressional Leadership Fund that backs House Republicans, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Worries had grown that his tough talk about getting inflation down to the Fed’s 2% target may be just that, unless the Fed backs it up with action. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 But the biggest focus has been Israel's war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which Iran backs. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 El Sayed also backs government ownership of artificial intelligence. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026 Jeff Hafley was then the new running backs coach at Division III Worcester (Massachusetts) Polytechnic Institute. — Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 Funding backs expansion Sila already produces Titan Silicon at its Alameda, California facility. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs

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
Universal constants arise often in math problems, and even the square root of log(N) rears its head once in a while.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rears

Noun

Fagnano was able to diagnose some of the disguises from Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores, finding soft spots in zone coverages both in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

— Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Other common causes of soft spots include bruising during transport or storage, or improper storage.

— Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of soft spots

Verb

Posture is often more important than vitality, since deathblows can be activated even if an enemy has high health, but higher health also aids faster posture recovery, both for Wolf and his enemies.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
The Ocean Between Them costars Riverdale’s Karl Walcott, and Dane appears as Ashley, Joan’s youngest daughter, who aids her in the search.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of aids

Verb

The flexible polymer, meanwhile, reinforces the structure and improves its elasticity.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Bitcoin's recent rebound puts the spotlight back on its role as a hedge against fiscal risk and reinforces Robbie Mitchnick's long held view that the crypto asset serves to diversity portfolios, and isn't just another risk asset.

— Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of reinforces

Verb

Michael Schnieder of Streets for All, a group that advocates for bike lanes, bus lanes and pedestrian safety measures, said the language would jeopardize street safety improvements, which include a push for bike lanes protected by barriers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The number of people detained by ICE increased by 58% – or more than 25,000 people – between 2025 and 2026, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, which advocates to end mass incarceration.

— Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026