back
gb/bˈæk/ us/bˈæk/
A1
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
rear of the upper body
The part of your body behind your chest, from your neck to your waist.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s back
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'back' (body part) with 'back' meaning 'return'. Context decides the meaning.
Synonyms
rear (More general; can refer to the back of any object, not just the body.)
Antonyms
front (Refers to the opposite side of the body or object.)
Collocations
back pain
|straight back
|turn your back
Themes
anatomy
|daily life
|body
|health
Examples
- He hurt his back while lifting boxes.
- She lay on her back and looked at the sky.
- I patted him on the back for encouragement.
Learner examples
- My back hurts after work.
- He sleeps on his back.
- She has a strong back.
adverb
A1
relation
2
toward a previous location
To go to a place where you were before.
Usage pattern:
go/come back to [place]
Common mistake:
Confusing 'back' (return) with 'again'. 'Back' suggests returning to a previous place or state; 'again' means repeating an action.
Synonyms
return (More formal; often used as a verb.)
Antonyms
away (Indicates movement in the opposite direction.)
Collocations
come back
|go back
|look back
Themes
movement
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I need to go back to the office.
- She came back from vacation yesterday.
- He looked back at the house one last time.
Learner examples
- I will go back home now.
- She came back to school.
- He looked back at me.
Verb
B1
action
3
support or endorse someone/something
To say or show that you support someone or something.
Usage pattern:
back [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'back' (to support) with 'backup' (noun meaning extra help or copy). They are related but not interchangeable.
Synonyms
support (Very close in meaning; 'support' is more general and common.)
Antonyms
oppose (Means to disagree with or act against something.)
Collocations
back a plan
|back a candidate
|fully back
Themes
relationships
|politics
|business
Examples
- The board decided to back the new proposal.
- I will back you if you decide to run for office.
- Several celebrities backed the charity event.
Learner examples
- I will back my friend in the game.
- They back the new idea.
- She backs him in the meeting.
Noun
A1
entity
4
rear side of an object/place
The part of something that is behind or opposite from the front.
Usage pattern:
the back of [something]
Synonyms
rear (Often interchangeable; 'rear' is slightly more formal.)
Antonyms
front (Opposite side of an object or space.)
Collocations
back of the house
|back cover
|at the back
Themes
directions
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The instructions are on the back of the package.
- We parked at the back of the building.
- There’s a garden at the back of our house.
Learner examples
- The shop is at the back of my house.
- There is a label on the back of the box.
- We stand at the back of the room.
Verb
A2
action
5
move in reverse direction
To move a car or other thing backwards.
Usage pattern:
back [vehicle/object] [direction]
Synonyms
reverse (Technical term for moving backwards, especially for vehicles.)
Antonyms
advance (Means to move forward.)
Collocations
back up the car
|back into a space
Themes
transportation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He backed the car out of the driveway.
- Can you back up a little?
- She accidentally backed into another vehicle.
Learner examples
- Please back the car slowly.
- He backs into the garage.
- She backs up her bike.
Grammar
Dictionary form
back
IPA
GB/bˈæk/
US/bˈæk/
Syllables & stress
back (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (back)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: back
- Plural: back, backs
Verb
- Base: back
- 3rd Person Singular: backs
- Present Participle: backing
- Past: backed
Word family
Expressions
back and forth
1/bˈæk ˈænd fˈɔɹθ/
fixed phrase
repeated movement in two directions
Moving first one way and then the other way again and again.
Examples
- The children ran back and forth across the yard.
- We talked back and forth for hours.
back and forth
1/bˈæk ˈænd fˈɔɹθ/
fixed phrase
repeatedly in opposite directions
from one side to the other many times
Examples
- The kids ran back and forth across the yard.
- We went back and forth by email for a week.
- She rocked back and forth in her chair.
back in the day
1/bˈæk ˈɪn ðə dˈeɪ/
idiom
informal
in the past, nostalgically remembered time
Talking about a time in the past that you remember fondly.
Examples
- Back in the day, we didn’t have smartphones.
- He often talks about how things were better back in the day.
back up
1/bˈæk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
copy data, reverse, or support claim/person
To make a copy of data, move backwards, or give support for what someone says or does.
Examples
- Remember to back up your files regularly.
- The truck backed up slowly into the alley.
- She backed up her argument with facts.
behind someone's back
1/bɪhˈaɪnd sˈʌmwˌʌnz bˈæk/
idiom
without someone's knowledge, secretly and unfairly
To do something without someone knowing, often something bad or dishonest.
Examples
- They made fun of him behind his back.
- She was angry that they had planned it behind her back.
get off my back
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɔf mˈaɪ bˈæk/
idiom
informal
stop bothering or criticizing me
Stop telling me what to do or criticizing me all the time.
Examples
- I’ll do it later, so get off my back!
- He told his boss to get off his back about deadlines.