Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

2 PHRASAL VERB If you back off from a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier, or if you back off it, you withdraw it. □ [V P + from ] A spokesman says the president has backed off from his threat to boycott the conference. □ [V P n] The union has publicly backed off that demand.

▸  back out PHRASAL VERB If you back out , you decide not to do something that you previously agreed to do. □ [V P + of ] Madonna backed out of the project after much wrangling. □ [V P ] Wells was supposed to put up half the money, but later backed out.

▸  back up

1 PHRASAL VERB If someone or something backs up a statement, they supply evidence to suggest that it is true. □ [V P n] Radio signals received from the galaxy's centre back up the black hole theory. [Also V n P ]

2 PHRASAL VERB If you back up a computer file, you make a copy of it which you can use if the original file is damaged or lost. [COMPUTING ] □ [V P n] Make a point of backing up your files at regular intervals. □ [V n P ] I get so annoyed when I lose work because I've forgotten to back it up.

3 PHRASAL VERB If an idea or intention is backed up by action, action is taken to support or confirm it. □ [be V -ed P ] The Secretary General says the declaration must now be backed up by concrete and effective actions. □ [V P n] It is time the Government backed up its advert campaigns with tougher measures. [Also V n P ]

4 PHRASAL VERB If you back someone up , you show your support for them. □ [V n P ] His employers, Norfolk Social Services, backed him up. [Also V P n]

5 PHRASAL VERB If you back someone up , you help them by confirming that what they are saying is true. □ [V n P ] The girl denied being there, and the man backed her up. [Also V P n]

6 PHRASAL VERB If you back up , the car or other vehicle that you are driving moves back a short distance. □ [V P ] Back up, Hans. □ [V P + to ] A police van drove through the protesters and backed up to the front door of the house.

7 PHRASAL VERB If vehicles back up , they form a line of traffic which has to wait before it can move on. □ [be V -ed P ] Traffic into London on the M11 was backed up for several miles. [Also V P , V P n]

8 PHRASAL VERB If you back up , you move backwards a short distance. □ [V P ] I backed up carefully until I felt the wall against my back. □ [V P amount] She backed up a few steps.

9 → see also backup USAGE back

You never use ‘back’ with the verb return . You do not say, for example, ‘ He returned back to his office ’. You say ‘He returned to his office’. □  I returned from the Middle East in 1956.

back|ache /bæ ke I k/ (backaches ) N‑VAR Backache is a dull pain in your back.

back|bench /bæ kbentʃ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A backbench MP is a Member of Parliament who is not a minister and who does not hold an official position in his or her political party. [BRIT , AUSTRALIAN ] □  Some backbench MPs have threatened to rebel.

back|bencher /bæ kbe ntʃə ^r / (backbenchers ) N‑COUNT A backbencher is a Member of Parliament who is not a minister and who does not hold an official position in his or her political party. [BRIT ] □  …a senior Conservative backbencher.

back|benches /bæ kbe ntʃ I z/ N‑PLURAL The backbenches are the seats in the British House of Commons where backbenchers sit. The Members of Parliament who sit on the backbenches are also referred to as the backbenches . [BRIT ] □  This issue is creating unrest on the backbenches.