Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for backer. Search instead for backery.
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.

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

The business owner would like to see more investment and support "for the local community", but is also a big backer of a new M4 relief road - "100% for it," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

“Marty Supreme” director Josh Safdie cast Catsimatidis as Christopher Galanis, a financial backer of the table tennis phenom played by Timothée Chalamet in the film.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Mr. Barr was an early backer of Mr. Trump and chaired his 2024 Kentucky primary campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 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.