collocations.org

Collocations for back - noun

1. part of the body

ADJECTIVE

broad
slender
muscular, strong
bent
straight
lower, upper
bare
The sun beat down on their bare backs.
aching, bad, sore, stiff
He's in bed with a bad back.
broken
He spent six months recovering from a broken back.

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VERB + back

bend, hunch (esp. AmE)
He hunches his back when he walks.
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.
lean
He leaned his back against the bar.
support
caress, massage, pat, rub, stroke (esp. BrE)
scratch

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back + VERB

arch
stiffen, straighten
His back stiffened as he saw the photographers waiting.
ache, hurt

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back + NOUN

injury, pain, trouble
muscles
support
a seat with good back support
massage, rub
Would you give me a back rub?

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PREPOSITION

behind sb's back
They tied his hands behind his back.
People say bad things about him behind his back, but never to his face. (figurative)
flat on your back
I was flat on my back for six weeks when I broke my leg.
on your back
He was carrying a small child on his back.
She was lying on her back on the sofa.
in the/your back
I have a nagging pain in my lower back.
back to
He was standing with his back to the fire.

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PHRASES

sb's back is turned
The boss was certain that the staff would stop working as soon as his back was turned. (figurative)
back to back
The children sat back to back.
a pat on the back, a slap on the back
He smiled and gave me a hearty slap on the back.
She deserves a pat on the back for her efforts. (figurative)
the small of your back
She felt a sharp pain in the small her back.
turn your back (on sb/sth)
Actors should never turn their backs on the audience.
She decided to turn her back on Paris and return home. (figurative)
watch your back (= be careful because people may want to harm you.)
I warned her she should watch her back.

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2. part furthest from the front

PREPOSITION

around back (AmE), around the back (BrE), round the back (BrE) (= to the area behind the house, etc.)
Come around back and I'll show you the pool.
If you'd like to come round the back, I'll show you the garden.
at the back
We could only get seats at the back.
down the back
My money's all fallen down the back of the cushion.
in back (AmE)
There's room for three people in back.
in the back (BrE)
Two passengers sat in the back of the car.
to the back
The cup had been pushed to the back of the cupboard.
towards/toward the back
The arts page is usually towards/toward the back of the newspaper.

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PHRASES

back to front (BrE)
I had my pullover on back to front.

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Collocations for back - verb

1. move back

ADVERB

hastily, hurriedly, immediately, quickly
She backed away hurriedly.
slowly
He backed slowly out of the room.
instinctively
They instinctively backed away from the intense heat.
cautiously, nervously
He took a step forward and she nervously backed away.
away, in, off, up
Try backing the car in—it's easier that way.
Back off! There's no need to yell at me.
Can you back your car up so that I can get through?

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VERB + back

try to
He tried to back away.

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PREPOSITION

across
She backed across the room.
away from
The children backed away from him in fear.
into
She backed into the garage.
out of
He backed out of the drive.

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2. support sb/sth

ADVERB

strongly
Teachers are strongly backing the new educational policies.
fully
overwhelmingly
unanimously
openly, publicly
financially
his election bid was financially backed by a soft drinks company.
up
I'll back you up if they don't believe you.

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back down - PHRASAL VERB

VERB + back down

will (not)
He will never back down.
refuse to
be forced to (esp. BrE), have to

PREPOSITION

from
The government was forced to back down from implementing these proposals.
over
The committee finally backed down over the issue of spending cuts.

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Back is used with these nouns as the subject:
conference, sponsor, voter

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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

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Collocations for back - 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

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