Dictionary entry details
• BACK UP (verb)
Meaning:
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
back up; support
Context examples:
She supported him during the illness / Her children always backed her up
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "back up"):
undergird (lend moral support to)
advance; boost; encourage; further; promote (contribute to the progress or growth of)
aid; assist; help (give help or assistance; be of service)
buy at; frequent; patronise; patronize; shop; shop at; sponsor (do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of)
sponsor (assume responsibility for or leadership of)
back; endorse; indorse; second (give support or one's approval to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Sentence example:
Sam cannot back up Sue
Meaning:
Move backwards from a certain position
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Synonyms:
back off; back down; back up
Context example:
The bully had to back down
Hypernyms (to "back up" is one way to...):
draw back; move back; pull away; pull back; recede; retire; retreat; withdraw (pull back or move away or backward)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Meaning:
Establish as valid or genuine
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
back up; back
Context example:
Can you back up your claims?
Hypernyms (to "back up" is one way to...):
affirm; confirm; corroborate; substantiate; support; sustain (establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Make a copy of (a computer file) especially for storage in another place as a security copy
Classified under:
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing
Context example:
You'd better back up these files!
Hypernyms (to "back up" is one way to...):
copy; re-create (make a replica of)
Domain category:
computer; computing device; computing machine; data processor; electronic computer; information processing system (a machine for performing calculations automatically)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Become or cause to become obstructed
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
congest; clog up; clog; choke off; foul; back up; choke
Context examples:
The leaves clog our drains in the Fall / The water pipe is backed up
Hypernyms (to "back up" is one way to...):
block; close up; impede; jam; obstruct; obturate; occlude (block passage through)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "back up"):
gum up (stick together as if with gum)
crap up (become obstructed or chocked up)
block; choke up; lug; stuff (obstruct)
silt; silt up (become chocked with silt)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
