back·space
ˈbak-ˌspās 
backspaced; backspacing; backspaces
: to move back a space in a text with the press of a key
: an instance of backspacing
also
: the key pressed in backspacing
Examples of backspace in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2021
With nearly 35,000 likes, a viral tweet revealed how to backspace on the iPhone calculator.
—Max Londberg, kansascity.com, 6 May 2017
A quick Google search also turned up similar links from several years ago showing users how to swipe on the calculator to backspace.
—Brett Molina, USA TODAY, 5 May 2017
On Apple’s support page, a user asked how to backspace on the iPhone calculator in 2010.
—Max Londberg, kansascity.com, 6 May 2017
The thread explained there is, in fact, a way to backspace on your iPhone calculator by swiping the numbers in black to the left or right.
—Lindsey Murray, Good Housekeeping, 4 May 2017
Ubuntu (and some other flavors of Linux): Open a Terminal window and run the following line of code:
setxkbmap -option caps:backspaceThat's it!
—Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2017
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
One of the problems with mechanical keyboards is how some larger keys – like the space bar, shift, enter, and backspace – can wobble and rattle.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The result is less wobble on the larger keys, particularly the space bar, left Shift, backspace and Enter keys.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 May 2023
There’s no backspace or preview option, so choose wisely and avoid typos.
—Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023
So, that guy was turning the TV on and then pushing backspace so the menu would go away fast enough.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2023
Another important component in a bespoke keyboard is the stabilizers used on the larger and longer keycaps, such as the left shift, backspace, enter and spacebar.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 13 June 2022
And they’re typically triggered by something small and unanticipated—a stubbed toe, a spill on our shirt, or (for me recently) a broken backspace key on the laptop.
—Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2020
The caps lock key is half size, the arrow keys are surrounded by home and end keys, and worst of all, the delete key is found right next to the backspace key, with no space between them.
—Dan Seifert, The Verge, 2 Aug. 2019
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Verb
The user can type and backspace but not much else, and, with the default settings, only ten lines of text are visible at a time.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2021
With nearly 35,000 likes, a viral tweet revealed how to backspace on the iPhone calculator.
—Max Londberg, kansascity.com, 6 May 2017
A quick Google search also turned up similar links from several years ago showing users how to swipe on the calculator to backspace.
—Brett Molina, USA TODAY, 5 May 2017
On Apple’s support page, a user asked how to backspace on the iPhone calculator in 2010.
—Max Londberg, kansascity.com, 6 May 2017
The thread explained there is, in fact, a way to backspace on your iPhone calculator by swiping the numbers in black to the left or right.
—Lindsey Murray, Good Housekeeping, 4 May 2017
Ubuntu (and some other flavors of Linux): Open a Terminal window and run the following line of code:
setxkbmap -option caps:backspaceThat's it!
—Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2017
Noun
Some of the latter were, in essence, programmable pocket computers themselves, and they could have been configured with a backspace key.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
One of the problems with mechanical keyboards is how some larger keys – like the space bar, shift, enter, and backspace – can wobble and rattle.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The result is less wobble on the larger keys, particularly the space bar, left Shift, backspace and Enter keys.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 May 2023
There’s no backspace or preview option, so choose wisely and avoid typos.
—Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023
So, that guy was turning the TV on and then pushing backspace so the menu would go away fast enough.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2023
Another important component in a bespoke keyboard is the stabilizers used on the larger and longer keycaps, such as the left shift, backspace, enter and spacebar.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 13 June 2022
And they’re typically triggered by something small and unanticipated—a stubbed toe, a spill on our shirt, or (for me recently) a broken backspace key on the laptop.
—Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2020
The caps lock key is half size, the arrow keys are surrounded by home and end keys, and worst of all, the delete key is found right next to the backspace key, with no space between them.
—Dan Seifert, The Verge, 2 Aug. 2019
Dictionary Entries Near backspace
Cite this Entry
“Backspace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backspace. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share