backup
1 of 2noun
back·up ˈbak-ˌəp 
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 2verb
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
: hold back sense 1
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
Synonyms
Noun
- bottleneck
- jam
- jam-up
- logjam
- snarl
- tailback [British]
- tie-up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Aug. 2022 There likely will be extended playing time for rookie backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. Georgia News, ajc, 25 Aug. 2022 Wolford is the Rams' presumptive backup QB for the third straight year, but Perkins might be playing his way into a competition. Greg Beacham, Chron, 21 Aug. 2022 Outside of a slow start that allowed Buffalo backup Case Keenum to drive into the Indianapolis red zone, the Colts defense continued a training camp that has been full of playmaking. The Indianapolis Star, 14 Aug. 2022 Willis was in his second season as the Tigers’ backup quarterback, and McCreary was a freshman reserve in the secondary. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 20 July 2022 Yurtseven was listed as playing alongside one game with Heat backup center Dewayne Dedmon this past season, but without a measurable minute. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2022 And Boston did it with primarily with 35-year-old, 6-foot-9-inch center Al Horford, supported by 6-6 power forward Grant Williams and 6-8 backup center Daniel Theis. Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2022 He is considered more of a good backup than a strong starter. Terry Pluto, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2022 Charlie Dent, CNN, 16 Sep. 2022 Almost no illumination besides individual stoplights shined back up. Joshua Sokol, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2022 And on this day, knowing his family is settled, Hall sits back up in his chair and embarks on what will be several hours of signing, smiling and making small talk. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022 Donations are down, the supplies that food banks purchase have gotten a lot more expensive and need is back up, said Jason Jakubowski, chief executive of Connecticut Foodshare in Wallingford, Conn. Laura Reiley, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Classes were still set to pick back up at 1:50 p.m. Caleb Stultz, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 Gerard Butler and Alan Siegel have teamed back up with Remi Adeleke, the star of upcoming action-thriller The Plane. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Sep. 2022 Now that Anderson is ramping back up from surgery to repair a sagittal band tear in his left middle finger and possibly returning next week, the question of whether to keep Andrus at short looms large down the stretch. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 The Home Editrecently teamed back up with The Container Store for an extension of their eponymous product line, adding new organization tools that focus specifically on keeping different areas of the kitchen neat and tiny. Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2022 See More
Noun
In other words: If starter Trey Lance remains uninjured and effective, the 49ers will pay Garoppolo no more than $7 million to provide peace of mind as the NFL’s most accomplished and highest-paid backup QB. Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Aug. 2022 There likely will be extended playing time for rookie backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. Georgia News, ajc, 25 Aug. 2022 Wolford is the Rams' presumptive backup QB for the third straight year, but Perkins might be playing his way into a competition. Greg Beacham, Chron, 21 Aug. 2022 Outside of a slow start that allowed Buffalo backup Case Keenum to drive into the Indianapolis red zone, the Colts defense continued a training camp that has been full of playmaking. The Indianapolis Star, 14 Aug. 2022 Willis was in his second season as the Tigers’ backup quarterback, and McCreary was a freshman reserve in the secondary. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 20 July 2022 Yurtseven was listed as playing alongside one game with Heat backup center Dewayne Dedmon this past season, but without a measurable minute. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2022 And Boston did it with primarily with 35-year-old, 6-foot-9-inch center Al Horford, supported by 6-6 power forward Grant Williams and 6-8 backup center Daniel Theis. Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2022 He is considered more of a good backup than a strong starter. Terry Pluto, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2022 Verb
But all of that optimism should be tempered after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed on Tuesday that inflation ticked back up last month. Charlie Dent, CNN, 16 Sep. 2022 Almost no illumination besides individual stoplights shined back up. Joshua Sokol, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2022 And on this day, knowing his family is settled, Hall sits back up in his chair and embarks on what will be several hours of signing, smiling and making small talk. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022 Donations are down, the supplies that food banks purchase have gotten a lot more expensive and need is back up, said Jason Jakubowski, chief executive of Connecticut Foodshare in Wallingford, Conn. Laura Reiley, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Classes were still set to pick back up at 1:50 p.m. Caleb Stultz, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 Gerard Butler and Alan Siegel have teamed back up with Remi Adeleke, the star of upcoming action-thriller The Plane. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Sep. 2022 Now that Anderson is ramping back up from surgery to repair a sagittal band tear in his left middle finger and possibly returning next week, the question of whether to keep Andrus at short looms large down the stretch. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 The Home Editrecently teamed back up with The Container Store for an extension of their eponymous product line, adding new organization tools that focus specifically on keeping different areas of the kitchen neat and tiny. Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1801, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Kids Definition
backup
noun
back·up ˈbak-ˌəp
1
: a person who takes the place of or supports another
The guard called for a backup.
2
: a situation in which the flow of something becomes blocked
3
: a copy of information stored on a computer