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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But their opening goal came off the back of one of UMKC’s first good strings of possession. Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024 That’s really the thing that was in the back of my mind. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024 Rub the cloth over the front and back of the cushions in small circular motions. Julia Ries, Outside Online, 14 Nov. 2024 The same account posted a separate video showing a woman collecting her jacket from the back of her chair and shuffling past other people to get out of the row. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for back of 

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 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

back of

preposition
informal
: behind entry 2 sense 1
out back of the barn
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!