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.
Cousins shot Turrentine, who owned the car sales business, across the jaw, then in the back of the head, according to prosecutors’ account. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025 In four-hour operations, surgeons implanted a tiny electrode panel into the back of the eye and an ultra-thin receiver under the skin near the ear to pick up a wireless signal from a tiny camera on sunglasses and a signal processor worn on a belt. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025 Doing so depresses a lever at the back of the lock, which automatically causes the arms to swing back in and lock together around the far side of the post. New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2025 The explosion had blown out the overhead door in the back of the building and dislodged several windows and a door at the front, officials said. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20of. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

back of

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