back up
Third Person
backs up
Present Participle
backing up
Past Tense
backed up
Past Participle
backed up
1
to support someone or something
transitive
- The loyal fans always back up their favorite sports team.
- The coach consistently backs up his players, fostering team spirit.
- I'll back up your proposal during the meeting.
- The teacher always backs her students up in their creative endeavors.
- He backed his colleague up in the dispute with the client.
2
to move or drive something backward
transitive
- She backed up the car into the parking space.
- He backed up the truck to unload the cargo.
- The driver backed up the vehicle to avoid hitting the curb.
- I had to back up the file to ensure the data was saved properly.
- She backed up her decision when new information came to light.
3
to make a copy of computer digital data
transitive
- I'll back up my important documents before the software update.
- The IT team needs to back the entire database up regularly.
- Make it a habit to regularly back up your important folders.
- The software prompts users to back up their information regularly.
- Remember to back up your important files regularly.
4
to confirm that something is true or valid
transitive
- She backed up her argument with compelling evidence.
- Let's back these claims up with concrete examples.
- The witness backed up the testimony with clear recollections.
- They backed up the proposal with a detailed project plan.
- Historical records can back up the accuracy of the ancient manuscript.
5
to wait in a long line of cars, unable to move because the road is crowded
- The city center was a mess, with cars backing up for miles because of the parade.
- Heavy rain led to streets flooding, and traffic started backing up in various areas.
- During rush hour, the city's streets tend to back up, causing delays for commuters.
- The accident on the freeway had traffic backing up in all lanes.
- The festival attracted large crowds, and the roads quickly started to back up.
Antonyms:
6
(of a vehicle) to move backward
- The vehicle cautiously backed up to reposition itself in the tight parking spot.
- In the narrow alley, the delivery truck had to back up to find an alternative route.
- The car backed up to park in the driveway.
- The bus backed up into the alley to turn around.
7
to reverse or undo one's actions or decisions
- I had to back up and apologize after realizing my mistake.
- They chose to back up and remove the controversial statement from the press release.
- He wished he could back up and avoid making that decision.
- She realized her error and decided to back up and redo the task.
- He tried to back up and take back what he said during the meeting.
8
to reconsider or rethink one's previous thoughts or decisions
- After hearing new information, I decided to back up and rethink my choice.
- He had to back up and reconsider his opinion after the discussion.
- She backed up after realizing she had missed an important detail.
- I decided to back up and look at the situation from a different angle.
- They backed up and reconsidered their strategy after the first attempt failed.