back of

preposition

Synonyms of back ofnext
US, informal
: behind
… stood leaning against a parked car out back of the building …—Peter Goldman et al.
They now sit … just two games back of the Yankees in the wild card race.—Steve Buckley

Synonyms of back of

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of back of in a Sentence

the equipment shed is a concrete structure back of the school
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For all of their injuries and struggles this season, the Commanders would have moved just one game back of the NFC East lead with a win over the first-place New York Giants. — Jake Kauderer, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Denny Hamlin served a safety violation after a tire bounced out of his team’s pit box, sending him to the back of the field temporarily. — Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026 This spirit makes drinks that pair perfectly with the season as the leaves fall and the sweaters come out of the back of the closet. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2026 In recollections from his time at Bazaar printed at the back of the book, Avedon talks about the essential function of a fashion photo. — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back of

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back of was in 1694

Rhymes for back of

See All Rhymes for back of

Browse Nearby Words

back number
back of
back of beyond
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20of. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

back of

preposition
informal
: behind entry 2 sense 1
out back of the barn
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All