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Synonyms

backer

American  
[bak-er] / ˈbæk ər /

noun

  1. a person who supports or aids a person, cause, enterprise, etc.

    Synonyms:
    helper, aide, guarantor, sponsor, supporter

  2. a person who bets on a competitor in a race or contest.

  3. canvas or other material used for backing.

backer British  
/ ˈbækə /

noun

  1. a person who gives financial or other support

  2. a person who bets on a competitor or contestant

"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 backer

First recorded in 1535–45; back 1 + -er 1

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.

Appeared in the October 6, 2025, print edition as 'DOJ Trial Against Trump Backer to Begin'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025

Jonathan Backer, an attorney with the Justice Department, told the panel that voting rights have traditionally been viewed as private rights.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2023

The group has run television and digital ads and has spent between $250,000 and $500,000 since its launch in May, according to Dan Backer, a lawyer working for the PAC.

From Reuters • Sep. 22, 2022

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, is facing a difficult juggling act, said Benji Backer, founder and president of the American Conservation Coalition.

From Washington Times • Jun. 10, 2022

Werner exhales; Backer has chosen a boy far to Werner’s right, one of the few boys with black hair.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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.