I.
noun
1 part of the body
ADJECTIVE
▪ broad
▪ slender
▪ muscular , strong
▪ bent
▪ straight
▪ lower , upper
▪ bare
▪
The sun beat down on their bare ~s.
▪ aching , bad , sore , stiff
▪
He's in bed with a bad ~.
▪ broken
▪
He spent six months recovering from a broken ~.
VERB + BACK
▪ bend , hunch ( esp. AmE )
▪
He hunches his ~ when he walks.
▪ straighten
▪ stretch
▪
He yawned and stretched his ~ as he got out of bed.
▪ break , hurt , injure
▪ arch
▪
The cat arched its ~ and hissed at the dog.
▪ lean
▪
He leaned his ~ against the bar.
▪ support
▪ caress , massage , pat , rub , stroke ( esp. BrE )
▪ scratch
BACK + VERB
▪ arch
▪ stiffen , straighten
▪
His ~ stiffened as he saw the photographers waiting.
▪ ache , hurt
BACK + NOUN
▪ injury , pain , trouble
▪ muscles
▪ support
▪
a seat with good ~ support
▪ massage , rub
▪
Would you give me a ~ rub?
PREPOSITION
▪ behind sb's ~
▪
They tied his hands behind his ~.
▪
People say bad things about him behind his ~, but never to his face. ( figurative )
▪ flat on your ~
▪
I was flat on my ~ for six weeks when I broke my leg.
▪ on your ~
▪
He was carrying a small child on his ~.
▪
She was lying on her ~ on the sofa.
▪ in the/your ~
▪
I have a nagging pain in my lower ~.
▪ ~ to
▪
He was standing with his ~ to the fire.
PHRASES
▪ sb's ~ is turned
▪
The boss was certain that the staff would stop working as soon as his ~ was turned. ( figurative )
▪ ~ to ~
▪
The children sat ~ to ~.
▪ a pat on the ~ , a slap on the ~
▪
He smiled and gave me a hearty slap on the ~.
▪
She deserves a pat on the ~ for her efforts. ( figurative )
▪ the small of your ~
▪
She felt a sharp pain in the small her ~.
▪ turn your ~ (on sb/sth)
▪
Actors should never turn their ~s on the audience.
▪
She decided to turn her ~ on Paris and return home. ( figurative )
▪ watch your ~ (= be careful because people may want to harm you.)
▪
I warned her she should watch her ~.
2 part furthest from the front
PREPOSITION
▪ around ~ ( AmE ), around the ~ ( BrE ), round the ~ ( BrE ) (= to the area behind the house, etc.)
▪
Come around ~ and I'll show you the pool.
▪
If you'd like to come round the ~, I'll show you the garden.
▪ at the ~
▪
We could only get seats at the ~.
▪ down the ~
▪
My money's all fallen down the ~ of the cushion.
▪ in ~ ( AmE )
▪
There's room for three people in ~.
▪ in the ~ ( BrE )
▪
Two passengers sat in the ~ of the car.
▪ to the ~
▪
The cup had been pushed to the ~ of the cupboard.
▪ towards/toward the ~
▪
The arts page is usually towards/toward the ~ of the newspaper.
PHRASES
▪ ~ to front ( BrE )
▪
I had my pullover on ~ to front.
II.
verb
1 move back
ADVERB
▪ hastily , hurriedly , immediately , quickly
▪
She ~ed away hurriedly.
▪ slowly
▪
He ~ed slowly out of the room.
▪ instinctively
▪
They instinctively ~ed away from the intense heat.
▪ cautiously , nervously
▪
He took a step forward and she nervously ~ed away.
▪ away , in , off , up
▪
Try ~ing the car in—it's easier that way.
▪
Back off! There's no need to yell at me.
▪
Can you ~ your car up so that I can get through?
VERB + BACK
▪ try to
▪
He tried to ~ away.
PREPOSITION
▪ across
▪
She ~ed across the room.
▪ away from
▪
The children ~ed away from him in fear.
▪ into
▪
She ~ed into the garage.
▪ out of
▪
He ~ed out of the drive.
2 support sb/sth
ADVERB
▪ strongly
▪
Teachers are strongly ~ing the new educational policies.
▪ fully
▪ overwhelmingly
▪ unanimously
▪ openly , publicly
▪ financially
▪
his election bid was financially ~ed by a soft drinks company.
▪ up
▪
I'll ~ you up if they don't believe you.
PHRASAL VERB
back down
VERB + BACK DOWN
▪ will (not)
▪
He will never ~ down.
▪ refuse to
▪ be forced to ( esp. BrE ), have to
PREPOSITION
▪ from
▪
The government was forced to ~ down from implementing these proposals.
▪ over
▪
The committee finally ~ed down over the issue of spending cuts.
Back is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ conference , ↑ sponsor , ↑ voter
Back is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ amendment , ↑ appeal , ↑ bill , ↑ candidate , ↑ car , ↑ hunch , ↑ initiative , ↑ judgement , ↑ loser , ↑ move , ↑ proposal , ↑ rebel , ↑ reform , ↑ regime , ↑ resolution , ↑ scheme , ↑ winner
III.
adj.
Back is used with these nouns: ↑ alley , ↑ bedroom , ↑ bench , ↑ bumper , ↑ copy , ↑ corner , ↑ cover , ↑ deck , ↑ door , ↑ end , ↑ entrance , ↑ exit , ↑ fence , ↑ foot , ↑ garden , ↑ gate , ↑ half , ↑ issue , ↑ lane , ↑ lawn , ↑ leg , ↑ office , ↑ order , ↑ page , ↑ part , ↑ pass , ↑ passage , ↑ pay , ↑ pocket , ↑ porch , ↑ rent , ↑ road , ↑ room , ↑ row , ↑ seat , ↑ spin , ↑ stair , ↑ staircase , ↑ step , ↑ story , ↑ street , ↑ tax , ↑ tooth , ↑ tyre , ↑ view , ↑ vowel , ↑ wage , ↑ wall , ↑ wheel , ↑ window , ↑ wing , ↑ yard