back of

preposition

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

Examples of back of in a Sentence

the equipment shed is a concrete structure back of the school
Recent Examples on the Web Add tomatoes and water to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, pressing with the back of spatula to burst them, 4 to 6 minutes. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 At the end of the vlog, her father makes a brief appearance as Isabella prepares for an unexpected surgery to drain fluid from the back of her head. Shania Russell, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2024 One small detail from the past: the old fire station emblem hanging on the back of the building. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 Thousands of firefighters and law enforcement officers suddenly stood straight and saluted the moment six pallbearers in crisp uniforms and white gloves lifted the casket of firefighter Trevor Brown from the back of a fire engine Monday. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 As the old man is carried to the back of the ambulance, more screams come from the ring. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 The 124-120 overtime win against the Timberwolves came on the back of Monk’s season-high 39 points, including 35 after halftime, with leading scorer De’Aaron Fox sidelined due to injury. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 Zendaya helped seat patrons, sold fundraising tickets and watched plays from the back of the theater. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Officials say the girl shot herself in the right eye and the bullet exited out the back of her skull. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back of was in 1694

Dictionary Entries Near back of

Cite this Entry

“Back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20of. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

back of

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