Back up meaning
Back up means to support someone, or say that what they say is true. It can also mean to make an extra copy of computer files so you don’t lose them.
back somebody up
back up · backed · backing
If the boss asks, will you back me up?
Back up meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Support someone, or say that what they say is true
back somebody up
- If the boss asks, will you back me up?
- Nobody backed up her story, so the teacher didn’t believe her.
- Thanks for backing me up in the meeting today.
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2
Make an extra copy of computer files so you don’t lose them
back something up
- I back up my photos to the cloud every week.
- Did you back up your phone before the update?
- My laptop died and I hadn’t backed anything up.
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3
Drive or move backwards
back something up
- Can you back up a little? You’re blocking the gate.
- The van was too close, so I backed it up a bit.
- She backed the car up to get closer to the door.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use back up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is back up separable?
Back up is separable when it has an object: back up the files, back the files up. With a pronoun, the pronoun goes in the middle: back me up, back it up, never back up me.
The noun is one word, backup: Keep a backup on a USB stick. Some people write back-up for the noun too, but the verb is always two words: I backed up my files.
Verb tenses for back up
| Present | I back up · she backs up |
|---|---|
| Past | backed up |
| Present perfect | have backed up |
| -ing form | backing up |
Common mistakes with back up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Don’t worry, I’ll back up you.
Right: Don’t worry, I’ll back you up.
A pronoun goes between back and up.
Wrong: I always backup my laptop on Fridays.
Right: I always back up my laptop on Fridays.
The verb is two words; backup is the noun.
Wrong: Can you back down the car a bit?
Right: Can you back up the car a bit?
Back down means stop arguing; for moving a car backwards, say back up.
Synonyms and opposites of back up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- stand bystay loyal to someone in a hard time
- save a copythe plain way to say back up a file
- reversethe UK word for driving backwards
Opposite
- let someone downfail to help someone who needed you
- contradictsay that someone’s words are not true
Back up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Always ___ your work before you install new software.
Back up your work means make a safety copy of it.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The verb is two words and the pronoun goes in the middle.
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3“The video backs up what the driver said.” What does the video do?
Back up a statement means show that it is true.
More phrasal verbs with back
2 phrasal verbs start with back. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Back up FAQ
Questions people ask about back up.
Is it backup or back up?
Back up, two words, is the verb: Back up your phone. Backup, one word, is the noun or adjective: a backup plan, a backup of my files.
What does back up mean in a conversation?
It can mean support what someone says: My sister backed me up. People also say Back up! to ask someone to go back to an earlier point in a story.
What does traffic is backed up mean?
It means cars are stuck in a long, slow line, often because of an accident. This use is most common in US English.
Use back up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.