Examples and explanation
The phrasal verb to back up or to back someone/something up has a few different meanings.
- to back someone up = to support someone
If we are helping or supporting someone in a difficult or challenging situation, then we are backing them up:
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We can use this phrasal verb as a noun, backup, to mean extra support:
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- to back someone/something up = to provide supportive evidence for something, to say that something is true
If someone makes a claim, then they might need to back it up with evidence to show that it is true:
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If someone backs you up in this way, then they are confirming that what you are saying is the truth:
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- to back something up = to make a copy of digital information
If you back up your files, then you are making a copy of them for security, in case anything happens to the original. Again, this is often used as a noun, backup:
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We can use backup more generally, to describe things that can be used if something happens to the original:
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- to back up = to reverse/go backwards
When someone is backing up their car, then they are reversing:
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We can use this phrasal verb figuratively, to ask someone to ‘reverse’ or go back a little bit in what they are saying. This is usually because we want to hear something again, or because we have not understood something:
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Finally, if traffic backs up, then cars are stuck in congestion or a traffic jam.
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Here are some more examples of this phrasal verb being used in context – how much can you understand?
Accent: England (London)
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…I had to start my essay from scratch…
If you do something from scratch, then you do it from the very beginning, from zero..
e.g. This is delicious. Did you really cook it all from scratch?
…my computer died…
If your phone or computer dies, then either the battery has run out, or it has stopped working completely.
e.g. Can I borrow your charger? My phone’s about to die.
Accent: North America
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…I definitely locked up…
The phrasal verb lock (something) up means to lock all the windows and doors of a building, usually when you leave it.
e.g. Make sure you lock up if you’re the last person to leave.
Accent: England (RP)
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…don’t worry about speaking up. …
The phrasal verb to speak up means to express or voice your opinion.
e.g. I feel like he has a lot to contribute, so it’s a shame he never speaks up in meetings.
- Can you remember a time when you had to back someone up?
- Have you ever lost some work which you hadn’t backed up?
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