back
in or to or toward a former location
How often you will meet it
Rank 111 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 229,181 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.109% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 500 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
adverb
- in or to or toward a former location she went back to her parents' house
- at or to or toward the back or rear also: backward, backwards, rearward, rearwards he moved backtripped when he stepped backward
- in or to or toward an original condition he went back to sleep
- in or to or toward a past time also: backward set the clocks back an hournever look back
- in reply he wrote back three days later
- in repayment or retaliation we paid back everything we had borrowedhe hit me and I hit him back
verb
- be behind; approve of also: endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support He plumped for the Labor PartyI backed Kennedy in 1960
- travel backward back into the drivewayThe car backed up and hit the tree
back in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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It appeared difficult to sing, however--he harked back to whistling.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
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She clambered down with her heavy bag and nodded back.
Gloria and Treeless Street · Annie Hamilton Donnell · Chapter 1
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Colonel Ray, who had been standing at the window, came back to us.
The Betrayal · E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim · Chapter 1
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Quickly he crouched behind the fence, and the aged look came back into his face.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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He uncovered it, and ran back in a great fright, for the pot was certainly singing!
Famous Stories Every Child Should Know · Hamilton Wright [Editor] Mabie · Chapter 1