backup

1 of 2

noun

back·​up ˈbak-ˌəp How to pronounce backup (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: one that serves as a substitute or support
I brought an extra pencil for backup.
a backup plan
b
: musical accompaniment
The tunes include banjo and guitar backup.
c
: additional personnel who provide assistance
The police officer called for backup.
2
: an accumulation caused by a stoppage in the flow
traffic backup
3
: a copy of computer data (such as a file or the contents of a hard drive)
I made a backup copy of the file.
also : the act or an instance of making a backup

back up

2 of 2

verb

backed up; backing up; backing up

intransitive verb

: to accumulate in a congested state
traffic backed up for miles

transitive verb

1
: to move into a position behind (a teammate) in order to assist on a play
2
3
: to make a copy of (a computer file or data) to protect against accidental loss or corruption
Be sure to back up your work.
also : to make copies of all the files on (a device)
a program that automatically backs up your hard drive

Examples of backup in a Sentence

Noun His role on the team is to be a backup to the regular quarterback. We have an extra radio as a backup in case this one doesn't work. We have an extra radio for backup. He provides backup for the regular quarterback. She sang backup on his CD.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Li, on the other hand, takes a different approach, with a camera-first system which uses lidar as a backup and has a total of 18 sensors. Mark Andrews, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 But if Darnold is left standing in the game of quarterback musical chairs, there are worse jobs than being Purdy’s backup. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 As the perfect backup for unsure Missy, Mona is a true scene-stealer. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Our investigation revealed that access credentials may have been compromised outside of our systems and used to delete the firm’s backups and execute a ransomware attack. Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 The formula has to be drafting a rookie quarterback and bringing in a competent backup who can man the position until the rookie is ready to play. Steve Silverman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The Milwaukee County Zoo has plans to fix a problem that zoo visitors have encountered for years — the backup of cars at the zoo's entrance, spilling out onto Blue Mound Road. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 The officer could have called for backup, in addition to the Kennedale officer who was also at the scene, del Carmen said. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2024 Kelly, a natural pass rusher, had four sacks as a freshman backup in 2022 and eight tackles (including one for loss) before his season ended prematurely last season. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
He's only recently begun to ramp his minutes back up to his typical starter's workload. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The Canadians are appealing to move up from fourth place to bronze, while the Russians are claiming its ROC team should be moved back up into gold medal position after dropping to bronze. Jill Martin, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 As buyers return this spring, some experts predict there will be enough of a mismatch between supply and demand to send prices back up. Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 After a night out at the 2024 SAG Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, several of the same stars popped back up at the 2024 Producers Guild of America Awards in L.A. on Sunday night, where Oppenheimer, Succession and The Bear once again dominated. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Clouds are forecast to roll out by Wednesday before temperatures warm back up to highs in the 60s. The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 At one point, Mays backed up, pointed his finger at the group and continued yelling. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024 The practice has fallen particularly hard on the poorest, who cannot afford lawyers and face a tortoise-like judicial system with cases backed up for years. Jack Nicas, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Mays is alleged to have backed up, continued to yell and then pulled out a handgun. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1801, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of backup was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near backup

Cite this Entry

“Backup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backup. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

backup

1 of 2 noun
back·​up ˈbak-ˌəp How to pronounce backup (audio)
1
: a person or thing that takes the place of or supports another
has a backup in case he gets sick
2
: a gathering or piling up because the flow has been stopped
a traffic backup
3
: a copy of a computer file to protect against loss of data
also : the act or an instance of making a backup

back up

2 of 2 verb
1
: to gather or pile up because the flow has been stopped
traffic backed up for miles
2
: to make a copy of (as a computer file) to protect against loss of data

More from Merriam-Webster on backup

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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