back // noun, adjective, adverb, verb

■ noun

IDIOMS

back to back

if two or more things happen back to back, one immediately follows the other:

After three back-to-back years of decline, this year could be an up year for the industry.

be on sb's back (informal)

to keep asking or telling sb to do sth that they do not want to do, in a way that they find annoying:

I've got my boss on my back about that report, and I just don't have time to do it.

have your back to/against the wall (informal)

to be in an extremely difficult situation in which you have to decide quickly what action to take

on the back of sth

as a result of an achievement or a success:

The profits growth came on the back of a 26% rise in sales.

TURN verb

■ adjective [only before noun]

BUY-BACK, DIAL-BACK, WRITE-BACK

1

owed for a time in the past:

The company owed $2 million dollars in back taxes.

back pay/rent/taxes

2

of or from a past time:

back issues of a magazine

IDIOMS

on the back burner (informal)

(about an idea, a plan, etc.) left for the present time, to be done or considered later

FRONT adj.

take a back seat (to sth)

1

to be given less importance than sth else:

Safety has taken a back seat to the need for cost reduction.

2

to let other people play a more active and important role in a particular situation than you do:

Mr Clark has decided to take a back seat and be a non-executive director.

Recently he has taken more of a back seat and allowed other people to call the shots.

QUEUE noun, BREAK verb

■ adverb

in return or reply:

Could you call back later, please?

I emailed them back to confirm the booking.

I can't give you an answer now. Can I get back to you on that?

❖ to call/email/report/write back (to sb)

◆ to fight/hit back

IDIOMS

(go/get) back to basics

to think about the simple or most important ideas within a subject or an activity instead of new ideas or complicated details:

The future of marketing is about getting back to basics.

a back-to-basics approach

Managers should get back to basics and examine the kind of products people really want.

CLAW

■ verb [+ obj]

to give support or help to sb/sth:

Leading businesses have backed plans to reduce VAT.

union-backed candidates

The programme of economic reform is backed (=supported financially) by foreign aid. See note at FINANCE

PHRASAL VERBS

back out (of sth)

to decide that you are no longer going to take part in sth that has been agreed:

The company is still for sale after a prospective buyer backed out of the deal.

back sth up

1 (IT )

to prepare a second copy of a file, program, etc. that can be used if the main one fails or needs extra support:

I back up all my files on CD-ROM once a week.

⇨ BACKUP

2

to provide support for sb/sth:

The sales manager is backed up by an experienced team of reps.

You'll need to get some evidence to back up your proposal.

⇨ BACKER

• concur
• concurrent engineering
• condition
• conditional
• conditional sale
• conditional takeover bid
• conditions of sale
• conduct
• confer
• conference
• conference call
• conferencing
• confidence
• confidence trick
• confidential
• confidentiality
• configure
• confirm
• confirmation
• confirmed letter of credit
• confirming bank
• proof of purchase
• prop
• prop.
• propensity