BACK UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does back up mean? 

• BACK UP (verb)
  The verb BACK UP has 5 senses:

1. give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to

2. move backwards from a certain position

3. establish as valid or genuine

4. make a copy of (a computer file) especially for storage in another place as a security copy

5. become or cause to become obstructed

  Familiarity information: BACK UP used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BACK UP (verb)

Sense 1

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 example:

Her children always backed her up

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "back up"):

sponsor (assume responsibility for or leadership of)

buy at; frequent; patronise; patronize; shop; shop at; sponsor (do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of)

aid; assist; help (give help or assistance; be of service)

advance; boost; encourage; further; promote (contribute to the progress or growth of)

root (cheer for)

undergird (lend moral support to)

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

Derivation:

backup (the act of providing approval and support)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move backwards from a certain position

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

back down; back off; 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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Establish as valid or genuine

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

back; back up

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

Sense 4

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

Derivation:

backup ((computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Become or cause to become obstructed

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

back up; choke; choke off; clog; clog up; congest; foul

Context example:

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

Derivation:

backup (an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage)

 Context examples 

Presently she came back up the road again, her head haughtily in the air, not deigning to take any further notice of her silent attendant.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Now let’s go back up to the beginning of December to see what’s happening—for you, that would be quite a bit!

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The Curiosity team decided to back up the rover 46 meters (151 feet) from the geological contact zone to investigate the high-silica target dubbed "Elk".

(Curiosity Rover Inspects Unusual Bedrock, NASA)

All the water going into the Earth at subduction zones must be coming back up somehow, not continuously piling up inside the Earth.

(Seismic study reveals huge amount of water dragged into Earth’s interior, National Science Foundation)

They back up your professors of English, and your professors of English back them up.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The weakening of the heart's pumping ability causes: • Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs • The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs - called edema • Tiredness and shortness of breath

(Heart Failure, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

The researchers found that, while the regulation of mercury emissions has successfully reduced methylmercury levels in fish, spiking temperatures are driving those levels back up and will play a major role in the methylmercury levels of marine life in the future.

(Mercury levels in fish are on the rise, National Science Foundation)

It has now shot back up above the plane of the planets and, travelling at 27 miles per second (44 kilometers per second) with respect to the Sun, the object is speeding toward the constellation Pegasus.

(Small Asteroid or Comet 'Visits' from Beyond the Solar System, NASA)

Because they may dive down to feed at depths of more than 1900 metres, where the water temperature can be as cold as four degrees, they need somewhere close by to rest and get their body temperature back up.

(New study of endangered whale shark youth shows vital habitat similarities, Wikinews)

You may also have computer problems, so back up data far in advance.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)