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Synonyms

backed

American  
[bakt] / bækt /

adjective

  1. having a back, backing, setting, or support (often used in combination).

    a low-backed sofa.

  2. (of fabric) having an extra set of threads in either the warp or the weft to provide added warmth.

  3. Photography. (of a film or plate) coated with a substance for absorbing light and thereby reducing halation.

backed British  
/ bækt /

adjective

    1. having a back or backing

    2. ( in combination )

      high-backed

      black-backed
"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

Other Word Forms

  • half-backed adjective
  • well-backed adjective

Etymology

Origin of backed

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; back 1, -ed 3

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.

Alphabet backed a $5 billion Anthropic data center in Texas.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Gadson backed Withers in 1972 for a concert at Carnegie Hall that was recorded for a classic live album; the record opens with a version of “Use Me” that stretches past the eight-minute mark.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

His second company, called Lucy, was backed by Y Combinator, the venture firm that Altman ran at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Either way, Emma has backed herself into a corner and hopes that honesty and context will be her saving grace.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

I backed away from Anna at the table.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

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.