back up
To drive backwards, to say that someone is telling the truth, or to make a copy of your files.
Meanings
To reverse a vehicle.
"Could you back up a few metres so I can get through?"
To support or confirm what someone has said; to provide evidence for a claim.
"Can anyone here back up his story about where he was that evening?"
To make a copy of data or files for safety.
"Always back up your work before updating the software in case something goes wrong."
To become blocked or congested (traffic, drains, etc.).
"Traffic backed up for miles after the accident on the motorway."
One of the most versatile phrasal verbs in English with multiple distinct senses. Very frequent in everyday speech. The data/computing sense ('back up your files') is extremely common in modern usage. 'Backup' (noun/adjective) is the standard written form of the compound.
Commonly used with
Forms
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