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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.

On the night, Liverpool's centre-backs were tasked with backing up the press when the players ahead of the ball applied pressure.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

A new set of BP shareholders is backing a resolution for more disclosure on its increased oil-and-gas investment, a shift from renewables.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Last year, state officials told The Times the state “isn’t backing down” on its plans.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Arteta is understood to want assurances that the club remain committed to providing the level of backing that has kept the team competitive.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

With Operation Breakthrough’s backing, a record 100 residents met in the main hall at McDougald Terrace that morning, eagerly anticipating a discussion about day care.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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.