noun
-
a person who gives financial or other support
-
a person who bets on a competitor or contestant
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of backer
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.
See Examples For:
Shortly after he was appointed in January, his advisor and key backer Sergiy Sternenko was confident he could win over the military insiders to his new approach.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Microsoft has been a big backer of OpenAI but is struggling to remain on the forefront of the fast-moving technology, which threatens to unseat software makers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
“Tech has been a long backer of his, but at the same time there is this growing national outcry against data centers.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
A backer of the prime minister said, when Burnham had faced tough questions in the by-election campaign, "he's fallen apart".
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 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
Given their embrace of Piker, it’s no surprise the Pod Bros were also among the most ardent backers of Platner, defending him like an expensive red sports car.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
In California, backers of the wealth tax say the state could take in $100 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Investigators said the companies allegedly sought to conceal the identity of their Chinese financial backers while establishing "unauthorised" operations or "illegally" recruiting talent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The U.S. remains one of the most prominent backers of the cultural and political rights of Tibetans, tens of thousands of whom are in exile in India and Nepal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Now then, as promised, we should discuss putting together a small group of backers to invest seed money in your show.”
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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.
