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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.

The governments involved and the European Union -- the project's largest foreign backer -- also want the corridor to drive regional development through farmland projects, logistics hubs and workforce training.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Musk was the biggest individual financial backer of OpenAI, contributing more than $44 million to the startup, according to court filings.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Clifton’s former backer, Meieran, says he doesn’t think things are going to bounce back enough to warrant more massive investment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

But a backer of the bill, Congresswoman Nancy Picón Martínez, said that the mining industry was being portrayed "as if it were a monster".

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

I acted in the capacity of backer, or best-man, to the bridegroom; while a little limp pew-opener in a soft bonnet like a baby’s, made a feint of being the bosom friend of Miss Skiffins.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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.