Back
What it means
To commit help, approval, or resources to a person, proposal, or cause.
Reach for it when promising active support rather than merely expressing approval
Three neighborhood groups agreed to back the library's weekend program.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday |
|
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
-
everyday
Fits when offering help in a broad sense
Not when money is specifically guaranteed
-
warm
Fits when advocating with visible enthusiasm
Not when quiet agreement is enough
-
warm
stand by
Fits when showing loyalty through difficulty
Not when evaluating the proposal itself
-
professional
Fits when making approval public or official
Not when practical help matters more
-
professional
sponsor
Fits when supplying money or institutional standing
Not when no resources are being supplied
-
formal
Fits when protecting someone against criticism
Not when the issue is simple approval
Opposites 3
- oppose
- abandon
- undermine
Common phrases 3
-
back a proposal
The residents chose to back a proposal for safer crossings.
-
back the team
Local businesses will back the team during its first season.
-
back wholeheartedly
Her former students back wholeheartedly the scholarship she founded.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated