7 English Phrasal Verbs With 'BACK'

What's covered on this page

We have definitions for 7 phrasal verbs with 'BACK'

7 phrasal verbs with 'BACK'

Back away

  1. Retreat or go backwards
    (Intransitive | International English)
    » Example: The crowd BACKED AWAY when the man pulled a knife.

Back down

  1. Retract or withdraw your position or proposal in an argument
    (Intransitive | International English)
    » Example: She refused to BACK DOWN and was fired.

Back into

  1. Enter a parking area in reverse gear
    (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
    » Example: He prefers to BACK his car INTO the garage.

Back off

  1. Retreat
    (Intransitive | International English)
    » Example: The police told the protesters to BACK OFF.

Back out

  1. Fail to keep an arrangement or promise
    (Intransitive | International English)
    » Example: He BACKED OUT two days before the holiday so we gave the ticket to his sister

Back out of

  1. Fail to keep an agreement, arrangement
    (Inseparable | International English)
    » Example: She BACKED OUT OF the agreement at the last minute.
  2. Exit a parking area in reverse gear
    ( | International English)
    » Example: She BACKED the Rolls OUT OF its parking space.

Back up

  1. Make a copy of computer data
    (Separable [optional] | International English)
    » Example: You should always BACK UP important files and documents so that you won't lose all your work if something goes wrong with the hardware.
  2. Support
    (Separable [optional] | International English)
    » Example: The rest of the staff BACKED her UP when she complained about working conditions.
  3. Drive a vehicle backwards
    ( | International English)
    » Example: Tom BACKED UP without looking and ran over his laptop.

Take our Exercise on 'BACK'

Quiz for Verb: 'To BACK'

Choose the correct definition for each phrasal verb...

'Back away' means...

'Back up' means...

'Back up' means...

'Back up' means...

'Back out of' means...

'Back into' means...

'Back down' means...

'Back off' means...

'Back out of' means...

'Back out' means...

 

Trustpilot