How to Use backbone in a Sentence
backbone
noun
- She is the backbone of the family.
- He showed some backbone by refusing to compromise his values.
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The tree, which is the backbone of the saddle, is thinner above the withers of the horse.
—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
24 Mar. 2023
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These movies—there are six of them in all—form the book’s backbone.
—
Isaac Butler,
The New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2022
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Grapefruit, sage and patchouli are the backbone of the fragrance.
—
Dallas News,
30 Nov. 2022
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Hark back to a time where peplum tops were the backbone of your wardrobe.
—
Georgia Trodd,
Glamour,
23 Feb. 2023
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This work forms part of the backbone of the Standard Model.
—
Zeeya Merali,
Scientific American,
11 May 2022
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The Kenyan police are supposed to be the backbone of the armed mission.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2024
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Deep down, the media is the backbone for the entire story.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2023
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The linebacker corps, led by Harman and Lee, is the backbone of the defense.
—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Aug. 2023
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The group forms the backbone of Behavioral Health Court.
—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2023
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Where in God's name is our backbone to have the courage to deal with it and stand up to the lobbyists?
—
Taylor Wilson,
USA TODAY,
25 May 2022
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The stories that form the backbone of the novel are Juan’s sketches of Jan Gay.
—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
16 Nov. 2023
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Parts of the pterosaur’s shoulders, legs, wings, and backbones were preserved in rock.
—
Elizabeth Gamillo,
Discover Magazine,
6 Feb. 2024
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Some gins have a backbone that just sings out of this treatment, and some don’t.
—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
21 May 2022
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The stand supports Ohio agriculture, the backbone of the fair.
—
Alissa Widman Neese,
Axios,
29 July 2024
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Béchamel is one of the French mother sauces that provide the backbone of so many great recipes.
—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
15 July 2024
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These are crosswise cuts that include both sides of the fish with a piece of the backbone in the center.
—
Noma Nazish,
Forbes,
26 June 2022
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Perennials and shrubs are the backbone of the Test Garden.
—
Marty Ross,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Mar. 2023
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Which is why poor Mary, who loves him and has tried to serve as his backbone, has been dragged down, too.
—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2023
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Of course, a league-best defense remains the backbone of the scorching start.
—
Ethan Fuller,
BostonGlobe.com,
17 Jan. 2023
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This combo is the backbone of so many of Chris’s dishes.
—
Julia Turshen,
Washington Post,
28 Mar. 2024
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That’s kind of the backbone of cancer treatment well into the 2000s.
—
Globe Staff,
BostonGlobe.com,
21 June 2022
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Does this rod have the backbone for a larger species like tarpon?
—
Travis Smola,
Field & Stream,
9 May 2023
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Nolin and Qian were not the only ones after the backbone.
—
Quanta Magazine,
7 Feb. 2024
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This country used to be made up of mom-and-pop businesses; that used to be the backbone.
—
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2023
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An acid backbone is there, making this a good choice with spicy food.
—
Marc Bona,
cleveland,
11 Dec. 2022
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Ask for the bird to be cut into five pieces: the legs, wings, and whole turkey breasts with the backbone removed.
—
Julie Harans,
Bon Appétit,
5 Oct. 2022
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Taylor's elite production has been the backbone of the Colts' offense all season and will be crucial again on Sunday.
—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
29 Dec. 2024
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Canine work also includes some of the partnerships that have been the backbone of human-dog coevolution, such as guarding, herding, hunting, and acting as sentry.
—
Jessica Pierce,
TIME,
15 Dec. 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backbone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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