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

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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.
During deliberation, jurors received a read-back of excerpts of testimony of a police officer on Hampton’s performance on field sobriety tests after the crash on Interstate 20, near Texas 360, in December 2021, and on a preliminary breath test. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026 Landing a job at the back of a mom-and-pop shop feels almost as hard as scoring a full-time corporate role. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 The homer trend continued early against the Diamondbacks, when Marte lined a two-run shot into the back of Arizona's bullpen in the first inning to eclipse 600 RBIs in 10 seasons with the D-backs. — CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 The staging has the audience surrounding three sides of the performance area with a seven-piece live band at the back of the stage. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 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

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Browse Nearby Words

back number
back of
back of beyond
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

back of

preposition
informal
: behind entry 2 sense 1
out back of the barn
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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