1. adverb uses2. opposite of front; noun and adjective uses3. verb uses
back
(bæk )
adverb uses
In addition to the uses shown below, back is also used in phrasal verbs such as 'date back' and 'fall back on'.1. adverb [ADVERB after verb] B1
If you move back, you move in the opposite direction to the one in which you are facing or in which you were moving before.
The photographers drew back to let us view the body.
She stepped back from the door expectantly. [+ from]
He pushed her away and she fell back on the wooden bench.
She pushes back her chair and stands.
Synonyms: backwards, in reverse, towards the rear, towards the back
2. adverb [ADVERB after verb, be ADVERB] A2
If you go back somewhere, you return to where you were before.
I went back to bed. [+ to]
I'm due back in London by late afternoon. [+ in]
Smith changed his mind and moved back home.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
He made a round-trip to the terminal and back.
3. adverb [ADVERB after verb, be ADVERB] B1
If someone or something is back in a particular state, they were in that state before and are now in it again.
The rail company said it expected services to get slowly back to normal.
Denise hopes to be back at work by the time her daughter is one.
Having recently bought an old typewriter, I am now trying to bring it back into working order.
Synonyms: again, as before
4. adverb [ADVERB after verb] A2
If you give or put something back, you return it to the person who had it or to the place where it was before you took it. If you get or take something back, you then have it again after not having it for a while.
She handed the knife back.
Put it back in the freezer. [+ in]
You'll get your money back.
5. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you put a clock or watch back, you change the time shown on it so that it shows an earlier time, for example when the time changes to winter time or standard time.
6. adverb [ADVERB after verb] A2
If you write or call back, you write to or phone someone after they have written to or phoned you. If you look back at someone, you look at them after they have started looking at you.
They wrote back to me and they told me that I didn't have to do it. [+ to]
If the phone rings, say you'll call back after dinner.
Lee looked at Theodora. She stared back.
7. adverb [ADVERB after verb] B1+
You can say that you go or come back to a particular point in a conversation to show that you are mentioning or discussing it again.
Can I come back to the question of policing once again? [+ to]
To come back to what I said in the Introduction, in the nineteenth century Spain was fully a part of Europe.
Going back to the school, how many staff are there? [+ to]
Synonyms: ago, before, earlier, in the past
8. adverb [ADVERB after verb, be ADVERB]
If something is or comes back, it is fashionable again after it has been unfashionable for some time.
Short skirts are back.
Consensus politics could easily come back into fashion. [+ into]
9. adverb [ADVERB after verb, be ADVERB] B2
If someone or something is kept or situated back from a place, they are at a distance away from it.
Keep back from the edge of the platform. [+ from]
I'm a few miles back from the border. [+ from]
He started for Dot's bedroom and Myrtle held him back.
Synonyms: at a distance, far, away, apart
10. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If something is held or tied back, it is held or tied so that it does not hang loosely over something.
Her hair was tied back.
The curtains were held back by tassels.
11. adverb [ADVERB after verb] B1+
If you lie or sit back, you move your body backwards into a relaxed sloping or flat position, with your head and body resting on something.
She lay back and stared at the ceiling.
She leaned back in her chair and smiled.
12. adverb [ADVERB after verb] B1+
If you look or shout back at someone or something, you turn to look or shout at them when they are behind you.
Nick looked back over his shoulder and then stopped, frowning.
He called back to her.
13. adverb B2
You use back in expressions like back in London or back at the house when you are giving an account, to show that you are going to start talking about what happened or was happening in the place you mention.
Meanwhile, back in London, Palace Pictures was collapsing. [+ in]
Later, back at home, the telephone rang. [+ at]
14. adverb [ADVERB with verb, noun ADVERB]
If you talk about something that happened back in the past or several years back, you are emphasizing that it happened quite a long time ago. [emphasis]
The story starts back in 1950, when I was five. [+ in]
I was in St. Lucia back in January of this year.
He contributed £50m to the project a few years back.
15. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you think back to something that happened in the past, you remember it or try to remember it.
I thought back to the time in 1975 when my son was desperately ill. [+ to]
My mind flew back to stories I had heard about Vinnie.
16. back and forth phrase B2
If someone moves back and forth, they repeatedly move in one direction and then in the opposite direction.
He paced back and forth.
Two boys were in the street, tossing a baseball back and forth.
17. to cast your mind back phrase
If you cast your mind back to a time in the past, you think about what happened then.
Cast your mind back to the year the team won the title.
back
(bæk )
opposite of front; noun and adjective uses
Word forms: backs 1. countable noun [oft poss NOUN] A2
A person's or animal's back is the part of their body between their head and their legs that is on the opposite side to their chest and stomach.
Her son was lying peacefully on his back.
She turned her back to the audience.
Three of the victims were shot in the back.
He threw the old cloth saddle across the donkey's back.
Synonyms: spine, backbone, vertebrae, spinal column
2. countable noun [usually singular] A2
The back of something is the side or part of it that is towards the rear or farthest from the front. The back of something is normally not used or seen as much as the front.
...a room at the back of the shop. [+ of]
She raised her hands to the back of her neck. [+ of]
Smooth the mixture with the back of a soup spoon. [+ of]
Her room was on the third floor, at the back.
Synonyms: rear, other side, back end, rear side
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun] A2
Back is used to refer to the side or part of something that is towards the rear or farthest from the front.
He opened the back door.
Ann could remember sitting in the back seat of their car.
...the back room of a pub in Camden.
...the path leading to the back garden.
Synonyms: rearmost, hind, hindmost
4. countable noun [usually singular] A2
The back of a chair or sofa is the part that you lean against when you sit on it.
There was a neatly folded pink sweater on the back of the chair. [+ of]
Synonyms: reverse, rear, other side, wrong side
5. countable noun [usually singular] A2
The back of something such as a piece of paper or an envelope is the side which is less important.
He scribbled some notes on the back of the envelope. [+ of]
6. countable noun [usually singular] A2
The back of a book is the part nearest the end, where you can find the index or the notes, for example.
...the index at the back of the book. [+ of]
You've given a whole list of names and addresses at the back.
Synonyms: end
7. singular noun
You can use back in expressions such as round the back and out the back to refer generally to the area behind a house or other building. [British, spoken]
He had chickens and things round the back.
The privy's out the back.
8. uncountable noun [Also + of]
You use back in expressions such as out back to refer to the area behind a house or other building. You also use in back in American English to refer to the rear part of something, especially a car or building.
Dan informed her that he would be out back on the patio cleaning his shoes.
Catlett got behind the wheel and I sat in back.
She hurried to the kitchen in back of the store.
9. countable noun
In team games such as football and hockey, a back is a player who is concerned mainly with preventing the other team from scoring goals, rather than scoring goals for their own team.
10. countable noun
In American football, a back is a player who stands behind the front line, runs with the ball and attacks rather than defends.
11. to do something behind someone's back phrase
If you say that something was done behind someone's back, you disapprove of it because it was done without them knowing about it, in an unfair or dishonest way. [disapproval]
You eat her food, enjoy her hospitality and then criticize her behind her back.
12. to break the back of sth phrase
If you break the back of a task or problem, you do the most difficult part of what is necessary to complete the task or solve the problem.
It seems at least that we've broken the back of inflation in this country.
We can deliver supplies and work to break the back of the famine.
13. phrase
If two or more things are done back to back, one follows immediately after the other without any interruption.
...two half-hour shows, which will be screened back to back.
14. back to front phrase B2 regional note: in AM, use backward
If you are wearing something back to front, you are wearing it with the back of it at the front of your body. If you do something back to front, you do it the wrong way around, starting with the part that should come last. [mainly British]
He wears his baseball cap back to front.
The picture was printed back to front.
15. to get off sb's back phrase [VERB inflects]
If you tell someone to get off your back, you are telling them angrily to stop criticizing you or putting pressure on you. [informal]
He kept on at me to such an extent that occasionally I wished he would get off my back.
16. on the back of phrase
If you say that one thing happens on the back of another thing, you mean that it happens after that other thing and in addition to it.
The cuts, if approved, come on the back of a difficult eight years that have seen three fire stations closed.
17. on the back foot/put someone on the back foot phrase
If someone is on the back foot, or if something puts them on the back foot, they feel threatened and act defensively.
From now on, Labour will be on the back foot on the subject of welfare.
I thought it would knock my confidence and put me on the back foot.
18. you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours phrase
People say 'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' to mean that one person helps another on condition that the second person helps them in return. [informal]
19. to see the back of someone phrase [PHRASE noun]
If you say that you will be glad to see the back of someone, you mean that you want them to leave. [British, informal]
I was so badly behaved I was convinced she would be glad to see the back of me.
20. to turn your back on sb/sth phrase [VERB inflects, PHRASE noun]
If you turn your back on someone or something, you ignore them, leave them, or reject them.
21. to get/put sb's back up phrase
If someone or something puts your back up or gets your back up, they annoy you. [informal]
Some food labelling practices really get my back up.
22. off the back of a lorry phrase [PHRASE after verb]
If someone says that something has fallen off the back of a lorry, or that they got something off the back of a lorry, they mean that they bought something that they knew was stolen. [British, informal]
He gets caviare that has fallen off the back of a lorry.
Pete once bought the boys a bicycle cheap off the back of a lorry.
23. to take a back seat phrase
If you take a back seat, you allow other people to have all the power and to make all the decisions.
You need to take a back seat and think about both past and future.
This is a country where women usually take a back seat.
24. to have your back to the wall phrase
If you have your back to the wall, you are in a very difficult situation and can see no way out of it. [informal]
Their threat to hire replacement workers has the union with its back to the wall.
back
(bæk )
verb uses
Word forms: backs , backing , backed 1. verb
If a building backs onto something, the back of it faces in the direction of that thing or touches the edge of that thing.
We live in a ground floor flat which backs onto a busy street. [V + onto]
His garden backs onto a school. [V + onto]
2. verb
When you back a car or other vehicle somewhere or when it backs somewhere, it moves backwards.
He backed his car out of the drive. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
The train backed out of Adelaide Yard on to the Dublin-Belfast line. [VERB preposition/adverb]
I heard the engines revving as the lorries backed and turned. [VERB]
3. verb B2
If you back a person or a course of action, you support them, for example by voting for them or giving them money.
There is a new witness to back his claim that he is a victim of mistaken identity. [VERB noun]
...if France cannot persuade all five permanent members of the Security Council to back the plan. [VERB noun]
The prime minister was backed a majority in parliament. [VERB noun]
-backed combining form
...government-backed loans to Egypt.
4. verb
If you back a particular person, team, or horse in a competition, you predict that they will win, and usually you bet money that they will win.
He was heavily backed to win two Majors. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
The horse's owner Mr Hitchins backed him at 200-1 to finish in the first three. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
It is upsetting to discover that you have backed a loser. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: gamble on, bet (money) on, speculate on, punt on [mainly British]
5. verb [usually passive]
If a singer is backed by a band or by other singers, they provide the musical background for the singer.
She was backed by acoustic guitar, bass and congas. [be VERB-ed + by]
6. See also backing
Phrasal verbs:
back away
1. phrasal verb
If you back away from a commitment that you made or something that you were involved with in the past, you try to show that you are no longer committed to it or involved with it.
The company backed away from plans to cut their pay by 15%. [VERB PARTICLE + from]
He's backing away from the policies and style of his predecessor. [V P from n]
Until yesterday, Britain had backed away because it didn't like the cost. [VERB PARTICLE]
2. phrasal verb B2 [Also V P + from]
If you back away, you walk backwards away from someone or something, often because you are frightened of them.
James got to his feet and started to come over, but the girls hastily backed away. [VERB PARTICLE]
back down
phrasal verb B2
If you back down, you withdraw a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier, because other people are strongly opposed to it.
The United States had no intention of backing down in its bitter row over farm subsidies. [VERB PARTICLE]
It's too late to back down now. [VERB PARTICLE]
He had to back down on plans to backdate the tax changes. [V P + on/over]
back off
1. phrasal verb B2
If you back off, you move away in order to avoid problems or a fight.
They backed off in horror. [VERB PARTICLE]
2. phrasal verb
If you back off from a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier, or if you back off it, you withdraw it.
A spokesman says the president has backed off from his threat to boycott the conference. [VERB PARTICLE + from]
The union has publicly backed off that demand. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
3. phrasal verb [usually imper]
If you tell someone to back off, you are telling them to stop interfering. [informal]
Back off, Mom, I'm old enough to make my own decisions! [VERB PARTICLE]
back out
phrasal verb
If you back out, you decide not to do something that you previously agreed to do.
She backed out of the project after much wrangling. [VERB PARTICLE + of]
Wells was supposed to put up half the money, but later backed out. [VERB PARTICLE]
back up
1. phrasal verb B2 [Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
If someone or something backs up a statement, they supply evidence to suggest that it is true.
Radio signals received from the galaxy's centre back up the black hole theory. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
Her views are backed up by a Home Office report on crime. [VERB PARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
2. phrasal verb B2
If you back up a computer file, you make a copy of it which you can use if the original file is damaged or lost. [computing]
Make a point of backing up your files at regular intervals. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
I get so annoyed when I lose work because I've forgotten to back it up. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
3. phrasal verb [Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
If an idea or intention is backed up by action, action is taken to support or confirm it.
The Secretary General says the declaration must now be backed up by concrete and effective actions. [be VERB-ed PARTICLE]
It is time the Government backed up its advert campaigns with tougher measures. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
4. phrasal verb B2 [Also VERB PARTICLE noun]
If you back someone up, you show your support for them.
His employers, Norfolk Social Services, backed him up. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
5. phrasal verb B2 [Also VERB PARTICLE noun]
If you back someone up, you help them by confirming that what they are saying is true.
The girl denied being there, and the man backed her up. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
6. phrasal verb
If you back up, the car or other vehicle that you are driving moves back a short distance.
Back up, Hans. [VERB PARTICLE]
He backed up a few feet and rolled the window down. [VERB PARTICLE]
A police van drove through the protesters and backed up to the front door of the house. [VERB PARTICLE + to]
7. phrasal verb
If vehicles back up, they form a line of traffic which has to wait before it can move on.
Traffic into London on the M11 was backed up for several miles. [be VERB-ed PARTICLE]
8. phrasal verb
If you back up, you move backwards a short distance.
I backed up carefully until I felt the wall against my back. [VERB PARTICLE]
She backed up a few steps. [V P amount]
9. See also backup
Vocabulary Builder
BODY – BACK shoulder back buttocks elbow hip calf Idioms:
to hell and back
if someone has been to hell and back, they have had a terrible experience, although it is now finished
We have been to hell and back but the love of this little boy has kept us going.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
set someone back on their heels or rock someone back on their heels
to surprise or shock someone, and often put them at a disadvantage
Ireland started brightly, only to be rocked back on their heels by the first error just 10 minutes into the match.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
someone can do something with one hand tied behind their back
said to mean that someone can do something very easily
The Explorer camcorder is so neat and nifty you can operate it with one hand tied behind your back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
know something like the back of your hand
to know something very well
He knows the city like the back of his hand.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
have to do something with one hand tied behind your back
to have a disadvantage which makes it difficult for you to succeed in doing something
The club is having to improve the team with one hand tied behind its back because it has no money to spend on new players.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
throw something back in someone's face
to reject something that someone has said or done for you in a way that seems very ungrateful or rude
We extended the hand of friendship and you have thrown it back in our faces.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
have eyes in the back of your head
to be very good at noticing everything that is happening around you
She has eyes in the back of her head and is always alert to the slightest sign of trouble.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
pin someone's ears back [US]
to tell someone off for having done something wrong
Dad was furious about what I'd done and pinned my ears back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
pin back your ears
[British, old-fashioned]
to listen carefully to what someone is saying
Right, pin back your ears, everyone.
[mainly British] in sport, to run very quickly in an attempt to score and help your team win
The Newport back division dropped the ball 30 metres out and Hughes pinned back his ears and raced to the line.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
do something by the back door [mainly British]
to do something secretly and unofficially
He said the government would not allow anyone to sneak in by the back door and seize power by force.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
come back from the dead
to become active or successful again after a period of being inactive or unsuccessful
I could not believe I had done it. I had come back from the dead and my career had survived the ultimate test.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
cover your back
to do something to protect yourself, for example against criticism or against accusations of doing something wrong
"Perhaps the greatest singer of his generation." A well-placed "perhaps" always covers your back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
pay someone back in their own coin
to treat someone in exactly the same, bad way that they have treated you
We need to tell them that if they don't actually cease their attacks they could face the prospect of being paid back in their own coin.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
wish you could turn back the clock
to wish to return to an earlier period, for example because you think it was a very good time or because you would like the chance to live your life differently
He said if he could turn back the clock, he would act differently.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
put something on the back burner
to decide not to do anything about a situation or project until a later date, because you do not consider it to be important at the time
There will be days when you and your spouse are experiencing conflict, and it has to be put on the back burner because you need to go to a meeting.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
go back to the drawing board
to start again or try another idea because something which you have done has not been successful
His government should go back to the drawing board to rethink their programme in time to return it to Parliament by September.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours
said to mean that one person helps another on condition that the second person helps them in return
The chemist knew his business and, willing to play the game of `you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours', charged Eve for only the ingredients he used.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
when your back is turned
when you are away or involved with something else
They are quite happy to question you, though, and are not averse to having a look through your personal items when your back is turned.
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turn your back on something
to stop thinking about something and paying attention to it, or to reject it
He intends to turn his back on his Communist past and form a completely new party with which to challenge for power.
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turn your back on someone
to ignore someone and refuse to help them
We appeal to this conference – do not turn your back on the poor. Do not turn your back on the unemployed.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
stab someone in the back
to do something which hurts and betrays someone
He seemed to be incredibly disloyal. He would be your friend to your face, and then stab you in the back.
People begin to avoid one another, take sides, be drawn into gossip and back-stabbing.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
say something behind someone's back
to say unkind and unpleasant things about someone to other people
I knew behind his back his friends were saying, `How can he possibly put up with that?'
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put your back into something
to start to work very hard in order to do something successfully
Eighty miles across the mountains could be done in six days walking, if she put her back into it.
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put someone's back up [British] or get someone's back up
to annoy someone
I thought before I spoke again. The wrong question was going to get her back up.
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on the back of a postage stamp
if eveything that someone knows about something could be put on the back of a postage stamp, they know very little about it
What she knew about children would have fitted on the back of a postage stamp.
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on the back of an envelope
quickly and without enough thought or planning
But the screenplay sounds as if it has been written on the back of an envelope and the whole thing has an improvised air about it.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
off the back of a lorry [British]
if something has fallen off the back of a lorry, or you got something off the back of a lorry, you have bought something that was stolen
The only evidence of any criminal tendencies is that Pete once bought the boys a bicycle cheap off the back of a lorry.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
have your back to the wall
to have very serious problems or be in a very difficult situation, which will be hard to deal with
The President had his back to the wall over healthcare reform and the floundering economy.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
get off someone's back [informal]
to stop criticizing someone and leave them alone
He kept on at me to such an extent that occasionally I wished he would get off my back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
do something behind someone's back
to do something secretly in order to harm someone
He had discovered that it was safer to have the Press on his side than to have correspondents sneaking around behind his back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
break your back
to work extremely hard to try to do something
When you're breaking your back to make an enterprise work, it's going to cut into your time with family.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
break the back of something
to deal with the most difficult parts or the main part of a task
The new government hopes to have broken the back of the economic crisis by the middle of this year.
to do something in order to make something weaker so that it is destroyed after a time
The government made a big effort late last year to break the back of the black market.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
be on someone's back
to annoy someone by criticizing them and putting a lot of pressure on them
The crowd aren't forgiving, and as soon as you make a mistake they are on your back.
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be glad to see the back of someone [mainly British]
to be pleased that someone has gone because you do not like them
It's Zara's last day at work and she fears that everyone will be glad to see the back of her.
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the back of beyond
a place that is a long way from any other towns, houses, etc.
He was born in a little village in the back of beyond.
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back the wrong horse
to support the wrong person, for example the loser in a contest or election
His chances of further political promotion were undermined by his backing the wrong horse in the leadership race.
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a back number
someone who is no longer useful or successful
Overnight she changed her mind: she would dance with Nureyev. She felt the alternative was to risk becoming 'an absolute back number, a nothing'.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
get your own back [British]
to take revenge on someone because of something that they have done to you
All you're interested in is in getting your own back on Terence.
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go behind someone's back
to do something secretly or without getting someone's permission, often in order to deliberately upset them
Leonard, you haven't been completely open with me. You think I wouldn't know when you go behind my back?
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a pat on the back
congratulations or appreciation for something someone has done
Any mail order shop that gives such rapid response to a customer's complaint deserves a pat on the back.
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make a rod for your own back [British]
to unintentionally do something which will cause you many problems
If you give in to your children, you'll just be making a rod for your own back.
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take a back seat
to allow other people to have all the power, importance, or responsibility
You will be aware that there are some situations when it is wise to take a back seat and some where it is appropriate to fight for your, and others', rights.
if one thing takes a back seat to another, people give the first thing less attention because they think that it is less important or less interesting than the other thing
Dr McLaren's own private life takes a back seat to the problems and difficulties of his patients.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
have never looked back
to have never regretted a decision
He became a professional photographer in 1978, and has never looked back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
be back to square one
to have failed completely in what you were trying to do, so that now you have to start again
So we are back to square one. Their costly intervention has been for nothing, a carefully-constructed peace process lies in ruins.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
the straw that breaks the camel's back
the latest in a series of unpleasant or difficult events that makes you feel that you cannot tolerate a situation any longer
Last week, I broke my wrist skateboarding for the second time. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. My dad has told me to give up the sport.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fed up to the back teeth with something or sick to the back teeth of something
annoyed or tired because something has been happening for a long time and you think it should be stopped or changed
I've always supported the Conservative Party but I'm fed up to the back teeth with them at the moment.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
like water off a duck's back
if criticism is like water off a duck's back, it is not having any effect at all on the person being criticized
Every time you discipline him he will smile sweetly so that you may think your rebukes are streaming away like water off a duck's back.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
go back a long way [mainly British] or go way back
to have been friends or associates for a very long time
We go back a long way, and she's always kept in touch, always been there for me.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
have a monkey on your back [mainly US]
to have a serious problem that is making your life difficult or unpleasant
The whole medical system that has become a monkey on the back of people without an adequate income.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Collocations:
back injury back leg back muscle back of the neck bad back bend the back circle back claim back climb back creep back drift back far back fold back glance back grin back hurry back lean back low back lure back peel back right back rush back send back ship back shrink back sink back slick back slide back slip back smile back sneak back spring back stare back stretch back stumble back swing back tilt back transported back walk back wave back welcome back yell back
A third skydiver had 'a hard landing and suffered a back injury' in a separate incident.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But a back injury knocked him out of serious contention for a long-term football career, and he was forced into the family business.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But the former world cruiserweight king was forced to pull out with a back injury earlier this month.
The Sun (2009)
He went into the Masters after a lengthy layoff with a lower back injury only for the trouble to flare up again the next week.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I've got a niggling back injury and it's a good chance to rest.
The Sun (2008)
Step one leg backwards, bending the front and back legs to a 90- degree angle (if possible) by flexing the hip, knee and ankle joints.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Take a big step backwards with the back leg.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Keep pelvis tucked in and slowly straighten back leg.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Technical points: use the whole of the foot when walking, pushing off firmly from the back leg.
Shape Your Body, Shape Your Life (1987)
I've got a certain amount of back muscle in my chest.
Times, Sunday Times
My lumbar spine and back muscle symmetry show much larger discrepancies, a result of too much time at my desk.
Times, Sunday Times
Exceptions include when she had knee surgery in 2003 and after straining a back muscle in 2006.
Times, Sunday Times
The injury turned out to be a badly pulled back muscle, which required extensive rehabilitation.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Back muscle spasms often cause arching, called opisthotonos.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
It had the hairs standing on the back of your neck.
Times, Sunday Times
I felt its breath burning on the back of my neck, yet there was still time to make a decision.
Times,Sunday Times
It made the hair on the back of my neck stick out.
Times, Sunday Times
It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
The Sun
Press shoulders and back of neck into floor while hugging right knee.
The Sun
I am not fit enough to play with my bad back.
The Sun (2016)
I got the jump wrong and was out for eight weeks with a bad back.
The Sun (2012)
He suffers from a bad back, yet powerful painkillers seem to have affected his judgment.
The Sun (2014)
I never throw them away and hate those who bend back the covers or write in them.
Times, Sunday Times
With legs shoulder width apart, bend your knees while allowing the hips to bend back behind.
Times, Sunday Times
Bend your back leg and rest your knee on the floor for stability.
Times, Sunday Times
Bend your back knee until it just touches the floor.
Times, Sunday Times
Bend back knee and curl tailbone under.
Times, Sunday Times
We could circle back on blue-sky thinking.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He circled back across Chaco Wash and picked up the gravel road that leads northwestward toward Nageezi Trading Post.
A THIEF OF TIME (1988)
She circled back and settled gracefully to earth at the spot where the trampling began.
A Time of War (1993)
I claimed back my bank charges even though it was only about 200.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The private firms will speak to victims and use civil routes such as search orders and freezing injunctions to claim back defrauded money.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Most occupational schemes claim back higher-rate relief automatically.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Companies with annual payrolls of more than 3m face paying a new apprenticeship levy, which they will be able to claim back on qualifying training.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is bought by carers who claim back the cost.
The Sun (2012)
One evening, he'd changed and climbed back into bed, only to have an air-raid siren split the night.
Globe and Mail (2003)
While it managed to climb back, a repeat performance cannot be ruled out.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The harp seal population has since climbed back to 9m.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
When you leave the house you have always to go downhill and then you have to climb back again.
The Education of a Gardener (1994)
She could be creeping back down a dark alleyway any day.
The Sun (2013)
United have quietly been creeping back to form.
The Sun (2013)
Equity release products have been creeping back.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There followed a few years in the regions and a gradual creep back to London.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Isabel crept back into bed, dry-mouthed, tasting dust and ashes.
THE PRESIDENT'S CHILD (2003)
Looking to the future with anticipation is pleasurable and, crucially, also helps you drift back off to sleep.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
A downy feather of memory drifted back -- the day she and Robert married.
MR GOLIGHTLY'S HOLIDAY (2003)
Which was what she was thinking about as she drifted back to the present, to feeding the ducks on the pond.
AFTERMATH (2001)
The boat drifted back into the noonday light.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
Press snooze button and drift back to sleep.
The Sun (2011)
The set of six stamps, which goes on sale today, also features images from air displays as far back as 1912.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
How far back can you trace your own ancestry?
Exploring language (6th edn) (1995)
The history goes a lot deeper and further back than those three and a half years.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
We have to begin further back and deeper in.
Christianity Today (2000)
How far back you look in history can have a big effect on the resulting average.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She picked up a white enamelled object from beneath the bedstand, folded back the sheets and fitted him to it.
CORMORANT
Her limbs were folding back down again now having been wildly overextended and she lapsed into silence.
A DARKENING STAIN (2002)
These doors fold back flat and give the maximum amount of light and garden view with unhindered access on to the flagged terrace.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The bulbous buttercup has ' sepals' just behind the flowers and which fold back over the stem.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
As for ' shame on you for turning blue', it is worth glancing back a year.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I deviate twenty degrees off course, into the nearest trees, and glance back.
A MEANS TO EVIL (2004)
She handed it to Kirby, then glanced back, fearfully, at the house.
ON A WICKED DAWN (2002)
As they turned to go into the walled herb garden and out of sight, she glanced back to see him watching still.
A Time of War (1993)
I made a face, and glanced back towards the heroics in bay two.
NIGHT SISTERS
Sid must have heard the whole story because he grinned back like a whale taking on a load of krill.
CORMORANT (2002)
They grinned back at me with amused contempt, flashing brilliant white teeth.
BETTER THAN THIS (2002)
He grinned back and gave me a mock-salute, much less reverent than the black-suited major-domo inside, who bid me good morning with gravity.
WHISTLER IN THE DARK (2001)
Simon grinned back and together they moved round on to the port deck, and secured lifelines.
LET NOT THE DEEP
Having ventured to the company canteen, or a nearby takeaway venue, al-desko adherents hurry back to their workstations for the purposes of actual ingestion.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Soldiers said the situation was real and told us to find shelter before they all hurried back to their base.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Martha had, in fact, hurried back after she had removed the dinner service.
The Secret Garden (1911)
He had recovered his balance quickly, grabbed a fire extinguisher and hurried back towards the fire.
Bomber
Which explains why we hurry back for a cosy afternoon by the fire.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Amy leaned back against the cushions and sniffed appreciatively at the mingled scents of flowers, cigar smoke and Chanel.
THE WHITE DOVE
She leaned back against the wall, heaving, her breath coming and going as from a bellows.
A PLAGUE OF ANGELS (2002)
He leaned back against the brick wall and patted the attaché case.
WHO KILLED TIFFANY JONES? (2002)
Sit comfortably on the machine with your low back pressed into the support.
Shape Your Body, Shape Your Life (1987)
Yet the number two position is now occupied by low back and neck pain.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Walking and running with ankles turned in can cause strain to the low back.
Muscle Management (1991)
Studies have shown the best remedy for low back pain is exercise such as walking, cycling and swimming.
BE YOUR BEST: How Anyone can become Fit, Healthy and Confident (2002)
Discal cyst has been identified as a rare cause of low back pain and radiating leg pain.
2015, 'Percutaneous Endoscopic Discectomy via Transforaminal Route for Discal Cyst', Case Reports in Orthopedics
Or will they be lured back into life with the deep-fat fryer?
The Sun (2017)
The voters who the leadership rivals are trying to lure back to Labour are not only bored but actively hostile.
The Sun (2010)
It is not simply a question of luring back British officials from Brussels.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A satisfied smile stretched her lips as she peeled back the paper and lifted out what seemed to be a folded air-bed.
The Sun (2007)
He waited a few moments then peeled back the paper backing from the print to reveal the image of the caged parrot.
SPIX'S MACAW: THE RACE TO SAVE THE WORLD'S RAREST BIRD (2002)
Eugene peeled back the skin from a hangnail on his thumb.
THE CRASH OF HENNINGTON (2002)
Getting away from it all just means finding yourself right back up to your neck in something else.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Cut out the finished mauve-grey flower stems of lamb's ears, taking them right back to some strong, leafy growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
If you are looking for love, it looks right back when you walk into a coffee shop.
The Sun (2016)
An acrobatic plane that I can just fly in the sky over my house and run out of gas and dead-stick right back down to my backyard.
FALLOUT (2001)
But all it takes is one defeat and we could be right back to where we were.
The Sun (2010)
She was rushed back to the hotel with a police escort and smuggled in via a service lift, while aides used the front door.
The Sun (2008)
On the first day at university I rushed back on my two buses and hurried into the after-school club.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But he was rushed back to hospital after docs told his anguished parents he had caught the bug.
The Sun (2008)
It helps to stop you rushing back to the comfort of old habits once you reach your target weight.
The Sun (2007)
For if anyone knows the perils of being rushed back too early it's Owen.
The Sun (2007)
Why has he not been arrested and sent back to his country of origin?
The Sun (2008)
They get sent back straight away.
The Sun (2011)
I sent back the return attached to the four blank pages, plus a letter of complaint.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Her work presented a lively contrast to the images by predominantly male war artists sent back from abroad.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The issue was sent back to the drawing board.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The translation was shipped back by diplomatic bag.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The 54-year-old shipped back her furniture and began looking for a job.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The lace of the christening robe brushed her hands, and at the touch she abruptly shrank back, smothering a cry.
COMPULSION
She felt the sensitiveness which would have shrunk back from a light joke and she smiled down into the dark eyes raised to hers.
ADRIENNE AND THE CHALET SCHOOL
He stopped and looked enquiringly at Paula, who shrank back into the sofa cushions.
HIDING FROM THE LIGHT
She was clearly in a temper and Adrienne shrank back involuntarily while Jules set down his case and stood waiting watchfully.
ADRIENNE AND THE CHALET SCHOOL
He'd come to the surface of his comatose state to say: we're not alone, and then he'd sunk back into it again, his eyes flickering closed.
GALILEE (2001)
It was not until Sirius touched the first of the western palm fronds that he had sunk back to something near his former depth.
The Catalans
As the ethereal strains of the Introit and Kyrie filled the room Alison sank back without protest and closed her eyes.
MIDNIGHT IS A LONELY PLACE
Indeed, they genuinely were expecting to do no more than a few theatrical venues and then to sink back into relative obscurity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
When the group split up he was broke and unemployed again and sank back into mental illness and became increasingly reclusive.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Or for a glam look, slick back with shine serum.
The Sun (2012)
It was enough to make me want to slick back my non-existent fringe and grow a pencil moustache.
The Sun (2012)
He had mournful saturnine good looks and his black hair was slicked back off his face.
WITHIN A WHISPER (2001)
Finish with plenty of hair spray and slick back any stray hairs.
The Sun (2010)
The doors slammed and the tailboard slid back.
The Sun (2013)
The automatic door slid back with a wheezy sigh then I walked into the thronged bar.
RESCUING ROSE (2002)
She pushed more forcefully, and it suddenly slid back like a concertina, separating into seven distinct panels.
LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
We went towards a corrugated iron hangar and, as we rounded the corner, we found the doors had been slid back.
SKORPION'S DEATH (2002)
There were a few slack moments in the middle of this set when the music slipped back into a kind of meandering, generic acid-jazz groove.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Last month, official data showed improvements made by some academies had slipped back.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This musical has just slipped back into the brontosaurus era.
Times, Sunday Times (2018)
And as long as they don't slip back into bad habits, they can continue to take them on an ad hoc basis with good results.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Britain will slip back down the medals table and no doubt run into a barrage of press criticism about why we can't win anything any more.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I smiled back, feeling that holiday spirit at last.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She makes a deprecating face at Lucy, who doesn't smile back.
SEA MUSIC (2003)
Soon a stone had sneaked back on.
The Sun (2015)
We'd sneak back for cups of coffee or lunch.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So horrible you have to look away... and yet your eyes keep sneaking back.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The aneurysm suddenly swelled and sprung back into life, filling instantly with arterial blood.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Mogget hissed his lack of appreciation and hastily sprang back from the bow as spray flew over where he'd been a moment before.
LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
As the carpet pile slowly dries it will spring back to life.
The Sun (2007)
With no time to spring back to his feet and engineer a recovery.
The Sun (2007)
The advantage of dealing with excess weight when you are young is that your skin is more elastic and more likely to spring back into shape.
The Sun (2007)
B A stranger stared back at David from the mirror lying against his office wall.
LOST SUMMER (2002)
Its beady eyes stare back at me from across the room.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can't help but stare back at his stare and barely blink.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The chinchilla stared back at the heron, blankly, its two front legs held delicately poised in the air.
BEHINDLINGS (2002)
The woman smiled at Colum, then coolly studied Kathryn, who just stared back.
A SHRINE OF MURDERS
Trying to change the weather has a long tradition stretching back to rain dances.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
A short walk south is a longer-established means of transport - a passenger ferry whose history may stretch back to the 14th century.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
This is the cradle of civilisation, with a history stretching back 8,000 years.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Thus does the programme lightly ignore robust naming customs, stretching back across the decades.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The Cottagers have lost their last five home matches, stretching back to last term.
The Sun (2013)
He looked down at it, more puzzled than pained, then struck her a backhanded swipe that had her stumbling back towards the door.
EVERVILLE (2001)
The manager, meanwhile, was stumbling back the way he'd come, his throat loosing a series of panicked animal noises.
EVERVILLE (2001)
I stumbled back and fell hard on my shoulder tying to protect the camera.
BLOOD IS DIRT (2002)
Apparently the cool-ometer has swung back to the more traditional alpinist.
The Sun (2014)
Last week the political pendulum appeared to swing back towards Cameron.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But the pendulum has swung back.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Expect pendulum to swing back shortly.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Andrei scraped back his chair, his head tilted back, his arms flung wide in a gesture of utter incomprehension.
TO HIS JUST DESSERTS (2002)
His mouth was tight and determined; and his head was tilted back so the chin jutted out, which gave him an arrogant appearance.
TOY SHOP (2002)
Venus tilted back her head, blowing a lungful of blue smoke toward the ceiling.
DOUBTING THOMAS
The composition of growth is tilting back to advanced from emerging economies.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
At first his electric chair had to be tilted back to allow him to breathe properly but he would train himself to sit bolt upright.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Be transported back to a primordial world in the mangrove swamps.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Our hero is concussed in a nightclub brawl the night before a big game and wakes up to find he's been transported back to the 70s.
The Sun (2006)
Listening to him is like being transported back to a 1970s comedy act with its cast of slurs.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He has been transported back to hospital for further tests.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You just bite your lip, walk back to your mark and get on with your job of creating another chance.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Then he turned and walked back to the auricle room built between both Danlo's and Hanuman's cells.
THE BROKEN GOD
Marlette watched the cacique walk back to the chapel where he spoke to a youth in his twenties.
THE DEVIL'S DOOR
They risked walking back a-ways, into the open caldera, to study the rock
A TIME OF WAR (2001)
He alighted upon one beauty spot and said he was going to walk to the bottom of it and wave back at us.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And out of a first-class carriage a hand waved back.
The Railway Children (1906)
The family cheered as the coach rumbled to the gateway, and Old Niccolo smiled and waved back.
THE MAGICIANS OF CAPRONA (2002)
I saw her in the street once and put my hand up to say hello and she went to wave back.
The Sun (2016)
Matty waved back, and then, invigorated, sprang off onto a path that wound close to the island's edge.
DEATH OF AN UNKNOWN MAN (2001)
So welcome back to the new brown paper bag.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
BRITAIN woke up to a covering of April snow yesterday - and delighted ski fans were quick to welcome back winter.
The Sun (2008)
We're going to pick some blueberries for tonight's pie , Tatiana yelled back.
THE BRONZE HORSEMAN (2001)
Joyce yelled back, subduing her stroke so as to hear better.
THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW (2001)
Then he yelled back and told me to shut up.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
She yelled back at him and was in a real huff.
The Sun (2008)
Translations:
Chinese: 后面的, 向后, 后背, 后退, 后部
Japanese: 後ろの, 後ろに, 背中, 後退させる, 奥
- middle layer
- middle linebacker
- middleman
- middle management
- middle name
- middle of summer
- middle of the night
- middle-of-the-road
- middle-of-the-road
- middle of the street
- middle of winter
- middle rank
- middle-ranking
- middle row
- middle school
- middle shelf
- middle tier
- middleweight champion
- Middle West
- middling
- midfield
- midfielder
- midfield player
- midfield position
- midge