Collocations for back - noun

broad | lean, slender | muscled, muscular, powerful, strong | bent | erect, straight | lower, upper | bad, stiff
He''s off work with a bad back.

bend, stiffen, straighten | stretch
He yawned and stretched his back as he got out of bed.

break, hurt, injure | arch
The cat arched its back and hissed at the dog.

support | knead, massage | scratch

arch | stiffen
His back stiffened as he saw the photographers waiting.

ache

injury, pain, trouble | muscles | support
a seat with good back support

behind your ~
They blindfolded him and tied his hands behind his back.

sb''s back is turned
(figurative) The boss was certain that the staff would stop working as soon as his back was turned.

back to back
The children sat back to back so they couldn''t see each others'' drawings.

a pat/slap on the back
He smiled and gave me a hearty slap on the back.

around/round the ~
If you''d like to come round the back (= to the area behind the house), I''ll show you the garden.

at the ~
We could only get seats at the back.

down the ~
My money''s all fallen down the back of the cushion.

in the ~
Two passengers sat in the back of the car.

to the ~
The man was refusing to go to the back of the queue.

towards the ~
The arts page is usually towards the back of the newspaper.

back to front
I had my pullover on back to front (= with the back where the front should be).