1
as in to testify (to)
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement
there was the inevitable backup of travelers trying to pass through airport security
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in replacement
a person or thing that takes the place of another
you didn't get the lead position, but you can be the backup to the chosen singer
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in makeshift
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 (up)
Mary Beth Sheridan The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The starting center has returned — but now the backup is out.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
Palestinian Authority security forces would be responsible for providing law and order, perhaps with the support and backup of an Arab intervention force.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
That would create more opportunities for a younger player like Ben Rice or a backup like Trent Grisham, who is roughly a week away from game action following a hamstring injury.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Noun
In one city, Reynosa, the national guard had to scale back its vehicle inspections after local officials and business owners complained of traffic backups of up to six hours.
—Mary Beth Sheridan The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The starting center has returned — but now the backup is out.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
Palestinian Authority security forces would be responsible for providing law and order, perhaps with the support and backup of an Arab intervention force.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
That would create more opportunities for a younger player like Ben Rice or a backup like Trent Grisham, who is roughly a week away from game action following a hamstring injury.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back (up)
Verb
-
Let the mixture sit overnight in the fridge—the seeds will gel and expand into a pudding-like consistency.—
Devineé Lingo, M.S.,
Health,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Bay Area: might be too much to ask three new players to gel so quickly.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Russians jam, too, of course—but Russian jamming doesn’t have the impact that Ukrainian jamming does.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Markle reintroduced her lifestyle brand As Ever on Feb. 18, promising to sell jams, herbal teas, cookware, home goods, linens and apparel.—
Renan Botelho,
WWD,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This buildup can reduce the water pressure, create clogs, or lead to leaks, forcing you to hire a plumber for repairs and replacement jobs.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Such a cost-benefit analysis of whether to accept $9.9 million in 2025-26 dead money plus the cost of a replacement shooter could come down to what is seen from Robinson over the balance of the schedule.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a startup born out of MIT, has raised the most money, nearly $2 billion from the likes of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Google.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
16 Mar. 2025
-
This type of jerky is known in Mexico as carne seca, born out of when cowboys would leave raw meat out in the desert sun.—
Andrew Watman,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Still, blood’s habit of coagulating, so useful in the body, proved a challenge outside of it: within a few minutes of beginning a transfusion, clots would gum up the needles and tubes, seriously limiting the quantity of blood that could be moved from person to person.—
Nicola Twilley,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Her husband’s samples had arrived there coagulated and useless.—
John Carreyrou,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Boateng played 48 minutes on March 1 and logged 28 minutes as a substitute in last week’s 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
-
In food and drinks, it’s often used as a thickener, preservative, and sugar substitute.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Select and prepare the planting location while the plants are hardening off.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Public opinion in Europe has hardened against Russia, and there is a growing recognition that strategic dependency on the U.S. is untenable.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In Bond, characters can’t cross over to alternate realities and meet other versions of themselves.—
Colin Burnett,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Insights deploys the Times’ in-house Graphene AI content management system to determine a story’s bias, running a word-by-word analysis to generate an alternate view.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20%28up%29. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share