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Synonyms

backing

American  
[bak-ing] / ˈbæk ɪŋ /

noun

  1. aid or support of any kind.

    Synonyms:
    encouragement, patronage, sanction, sponsorship, endorsement, assistance, help

  2. supporters or backers collectively.

  3. something that forms the back or is placed at or attached to the back of anything to support, strengthen, or protect it.

  4. Theater. a curtain or flat placed behind a window, entrance, or other opening in a stage set to conceal the offstage area.

  5. material for backing a joist or rafter.

  6. a bevel given to the outer and upper edge of a hip rafter.

  7. the musical accompaniment for a soloist; backup.

backing British  
/ ˈbækɪŋ /

noun

  1. support given to a person, cause, or enterprise

  2. a body of supporters

  3. something that forms, protects, supports, or strengthens the back of something

  4. theatre a scenic cloth or flat placed behind a window, door, etc, in a set to mask the offstage space

  5. musical accompaniment, esp for a pop singer

  6. the support in gold or precious metals for a country's issue of money in notes

  7. meteorol an anticlockwise change in wind direction

  8. a passageway running behind a row of terraced houses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of backing

First recorded in 1590–1600; back 1 + -ing 1

Vocabulary lists containing backing

Analyzing Arguments: From Reading to Writing (Chapter 3)

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The future of the breakaway series has been plunged into doubt after Saudi Arabia said it will withdraw its multi-billion dollar backing at the end of the 2026 season.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

I've always believed in myself, but when you've got the backing of other people, it really helps.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Given these challenges in developing and producing technology that the military may or may not want, only a handful of the defense-technology companies receiving significant venture-capital backing are likely to succeed.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

French bakeries sold crusty baguettes and flaky croissants with government backing Friday, defying labour unions arguing that May 1 should remain a sacred day of compulsory rest.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

May said, backing away from her grandmother, Jack, the blond woman—everyone.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.