back

• (a) related to or located at the back
  • the back yard
  • the back entrance
• (r) in or to or toward a former location
  • she went back to her parents' house
• (s) located at or near the back of an animal
  • back (or hind) legs
  • the hinder part of a carcass
  hind, hinder,
• (r) at or to or toward the back or rear
  • he moved back
  • tripped when he stepped backward
  • she looked rearward out the window of the car
  backward, backwards, rearward, rearwards,
• (s) of an earlier date
  • back issues of the magazine
• (r) in or to or toward an original condition
  • he went back to sleep
• (r) in or to or toward a past time
  • set the clocks back an hour
  • never look back
  • lovers of the past looking fondly backward
  backward,
• (r) in reply
  • he wrote back three days later
• (r) in repayment or retaliation
  • we paid back everything we had borrowed
  • he hit me and I hit him back
  • I was kept in after school for talking back to the teacher

Nouns

• (n) the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
  • his back was nicely tanned
  dorsum,
• (n) the side that goes last or is not normally seen
  • he wrote the date on the back of the photograph
  rear,
• (n) the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer
  • he stood at the back of the stage
  • it was hidden in the rear of the store
  rear,
• (n) (football) a person who plays in the backfield
• (n) the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
  • the fall broke his back
  spinal column, spine, vertebral column, rachis, backbone,
• (n) the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book
  • the book had a leather binding
  book binding, cover, binding,
• (n) the part of a garment that covers the back of your body
  • they pinned a "kick me" sign on his back
• (n) a support that you can lean against while sitting
  • the back of the dental chair was adjustable
  backrest,
• (n) (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage

Verbs

• (v) be behind; approve of
  • He plumped for the Labor Party
  • I backed Kennedy in 1960
  endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support,
• (v) travel backward
  • back into the driveway
  • The car backed up and hit the tree
• (v) give support or one's approval to
  • I'll second that motion
  • I can't back this plan
  • endorse a new project
  second, endorse, indorse,
• (v) cause to travel backward
  • back the car into the parking spot
• (v) support financial backing for
  • back this enterprise
• (v) be in back of
  • My garage backs their yard
• (v) place a bet on
  • Which horse are you backing?
  • I'm betting on the new horse
  bet on, gage, game, stake, punt,
• (v) shift to a counterclockwise direction
  • the wind backed
• (v) establish as valid or genuine
  • Can you back up your claims?
  back up,
• (v) strengthen by providing with a back or backing

Synonyms

Antonyms

See also

Words of close approximity