noun

• 1mass noun Help or support.

  ‘no police backup could be expected’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Support groups providing backup for people to resist the cravings are available in Darwen and Accrington, with a new group expected to start in Clitheroe next month.’
  • ‘A support boat will provide backup throughout the challenge.’
  • ‘The next meeting will take place in November and will include such items as assessment, support and backup.’
  • ‘These were people who were never out of their own parish and they were sent to England without any sort of backup or support.’
  • ‘The support and backup are great, and I can now help clients with a complete range of legal services, not just the ones I specialize in.’
  • ‘They wanted to ask corporate management for additional funds but needed financial backup to support their request.’
  • ‘Her face was ashen as she fumbling with her helmet, and I realized that her life support and backup had failed.’
  • ‘Junior nurses have no backup or support and become disillusioned and leave.’
  • ‘If they suspect someone of being armed then they will need to call for backup from regular police as the community officers will not have the training or equipment to deal with suspected armed people.’
  • ‘‘We found the transmitter within an hour and called police for backup,’ one of the enforcement officers told us.’
  • ‘Calling for backup, the police then arrested several more onlookers who had entered into the fray.’
  • ‘Several minutes later a call for backup came over the police radio.’
  • ‘Once he got to seven he turned to go down and noticed the police had called backup because their numbers had tripled.’
  • ‘Police immediately called for backup feeling that the scene was becoming too unsettled.’
  • ‘Of the people surveyed 14 per cent said they had pet insurance, compared to 20 per cent of companies which have external support or backup.’
  • ‘Instead, like a Mafia boss, he provided protection, backup, and a reputation for brutality in return for a cut of the take.’
  • ‘Yet she had to meet that demand without any of the formal backup that a minister or minor royal would take for granted.’
  • ‘We've a lot of air support and a lot of backup as opposed to these small covert wars that we've been used to fighting.’
  • ‘When confidence and good fortune stops, you need backup and we have not got that kind of support.’
  • ‘As a police officer, he has access to certain assault weapons and handguns, as well as receiving a certain amount of backup from other police officers.’

  Synonyms

  help, support, assistance, aid

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1A person or thing that can be called on if necessary; a reserve.
     ‘I've got a security force as backup’
     More example sentences

     • ‘a backup generator’
     • ‘Our plan would thus be incomplete without a provision for backup forces, included in most proposals for a rapid reaction force.’
     • ‘The Government is determined to bring in all necessary scientific backup to monitor the pollution risk and vowed to allocate whatever resources were required.’
     • ‘You've got a budget of $60 million and $10 million is reserved for backup players.’
     • ‘Most backup diesel generators burn distillate fuel oil, the same fuel used for heating and for aircraft.’
     • ‘Emergency backup generators will not be adequate to maintain even a rudimentary water supply.’
     • ‘The most serious incident was compounded by the failure of a battery powered backup generator in the air traffic control tower.’
     • ‘These backup forces are demoralized and headed for the door.’
     • ‘Or, combine your backup generator with a renewable energy system, and declare your total independence from the grid!’
     • ‘Despite this redundancy, there are also backup generators.’
     • ‘If your backup generator isn't powering the refrigerator, raid it for the food, but don't open the door more than necessary.’
     • ‘With both the main generators and their backup out of service, the plant's cooling system was dependent on batteries, which last eight hours.’
     • ‘The backup diesel generators in their facilities were designed only to handle critical loads, not full operations.’
     • ‘But if you have an electric stove, it requires so much power that many backup generators won't be able to run it.’
     • ‘I live up on a mountain, and I have a generator for backup power.’
     • ‘Two other team members should be assigned to provide backup power and establish alternate communication systems.’
     • ‘He will serve as the primary backup at second and third and possibly at first, and he also could play at shortstop or a corner outfield spot.’
     • ‘Some roles never were fully established, including second base, backup catcher and setup reliever.’
     • ‘The club still is looking for improved defense, speed, a backup catcher and a reserve outfielder.’
     • ‘The original cornice was sheared off from the existing backup stone and replaced with new marble.’
     • ‘When she was sure that they had all gone, she informed the police backup that they were to arrest any reporter they saw that came within eyeshot of the post office.’
     Synonyms

     acting, replacement, deputy, relief, reserve, surrogate, fill-in, stand-in, temporary, caretaker, alternative, locum, standby, backup, stopgap, interim, provisional, pro tem, proxy, ancillary

     View synonyms

• 2Computing
  A copy of a file or other item of data made in case the original is lost or damaged.

  ‘make a backup of any important files’

  More example sentences

  • ‘a backup copy’
  • ‘So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.’
  • ‘To ease the procedure you can use some automatic backup software.’
  • ‘Software upgrades routine backup and restore procedures will also take much less time.’
  • ‘He has insisted that his company's software was meant to let consumers innocently make backup copies of their DVDs and computer games.’
  • ‘They also help me forget about rational things like computer backup and backup software.’
  • ‘The good thing about online backup is, it's accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.’
  • ‘Copy and move functions include replication, remote mirroring, and online backup.’
  • ‘The software giant went on to warn that the danger from shoddy backup procedures will be compounded by what it predicts will be sharp increases in the number of laptops being damaged or stolen.’
  • ‘It might ask about the partner's incident response plan or backup procedures, for example.’
  • ‘There are plenty of free and trial backup products available for download or purchase online.’
  • ‘A built in backup system enables data backup to a tape or hard drive.’
  • ‘A similar volume is likely to be sold for use as backup storage for notebook and desktop computers.’
  • ‘The owner is responsible for maintaining the system, including making backup copies of all project data on a regular basis.’
  • ‘When astronauts leave Earth, many plans, procedures, and backup systems are in place for their comfort and survival.’
  • ‘It collects backup streams from several computers and writes them all to tape together with headers identifying their origins.’
  • ‘Also, let's say that you have no backup storage devices, and you have some large files that wouldn't fit on another partition.’
  • ‘We used a feature in both backup apps to simply replicate the folder, so that compression overhead wasn't a factor.’
  • ‘Online backup is actually more secure than storing unencrypted data tapes in a remote vault.’
  • ‘Computer hell is the place for computers without computer backup.’
  • ‘The best solution is to make backup automatic, and there are many ways to do that depending on how much you are willing to pay.’

  1. 2.1mass noun The procedure for making backup copies of files or other items of data.
     ‘automatic online backup’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Make regular backups of your data files to separate file storage device.’
     • ‘Make simple backups and keep every copy of your Web or FTP site up to date with some standard tools that probably are already on your system.’
     • ‘I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to make critical backups of important data.’
     • ‘There's a lot more to making backups than just copying a few files onto a CDRW disk and throwing it into a box.’
     • ‘The devices can be used as a repository for large multimedia files, and to store backups of critical data as well as disk images.’
     • ‘The typical user has a few things in mind when buying a CD burner: first of all, to make backups, and copies of game or music CDs.’
     • ‘There is no way really to tell whether the primary purpose of a device is to make personal backups or illegal copies.’
     • ‘You can even have one more for storing all your multimedia files, and maybe even one for storing backups of all your important files.’
     • ‘Enterprises store four times the data they produce as backups and archives.’
     • ‘‘It was a horrible day… and I keep floppy backups of the important stuff now,’ she said.’
     • ‘Now there are plenty of small companies that have lost backups and archived data.’
     • ‘You'll also need ‘several hundred megabytes plus several hundred more’ for temporary files and backups, so start tidying those hard disks, people.’
     • ‘Be sure to have all your drivers next to you just in case, also, be sure to have a backup of any important information.’
     • ‘Preparation includes making backups of all software (including operating systems) and making a contingency plan.’
     • ‘Customers will probably turn to the boxes for basic storage, disk-to-disk backups and archiving.’
     • ‘Also, PC vendors can configure it to store backups of a user's critical data files as well as tweaks to the OS and applications.’
     • ‘How could they have known they had ‘all’ the records if they didn't have either the microfilm or the paper backups?’
     • ‘I dug through my backups and found some old files I needed.’
     • ‘I have lots of diddling with old post categories and backups and so forth to do, but it looks like the site's pretty much back!’
     • ‘That's when I say a silent prayer of thanks for the triple-redundant tape backups and burnt CDs of printed files that clutter our storage closet.’
     • ‘So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.’
     • ‘To ease the procedure you can use some automatic backup software.’
     • ‘Software upgrades routine backup and restore procedures will also take much less time.’
     • ‘He has insisted that his company's software was meant to let consumers innocently make backup copies of their DVDs and computer games.’
     • ‘They also help me forget about rational things like computer backup and backup software.’
     • ‘The good thing about online backup is, it's accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.’
     • ‘Copy and move functions include replication, remote mirroring, and online backup.’
     • ‘The software giant went on to warn that the danger from shoddy backup procedures will be compounded by what it predicts will be sharp increases in the number of laptops being damaged or stolen.’
     • ‘It might ask about the partner's incident response plan or backup procedures, for example.’
     • ‘There are plenty of free and trial backup products available for download or purchase online.’
     • ‘A built in backup system enables data backup to a tape or hard drive.’
     • ‘A similar volume is likely to be sold for use as backup storage for notebook and desktop computers.’
     • ‘The owner is responsible for maintaining the system, including making backup copies of all project data on a regular basis.’
     • ‘When astronauts leave Earth, many plans, procedures, and backup systems are in place for their comfort and survival.’
     • ‘It collects backup streams from several computers and writes them all to tape together with headers identifying their origins.’
     • ‘Also, let's say that you have no backup storage devices, and you have some large files that wouldn't fit on another partition.’
     • ‘We used a feature in both backup apps to simply replicate the folder, so that compression overhead wasn't a factor.’
     • ‘Online backup is actually more secure than storing unencrypted data tapes in a remote vault.’
     • ‘Computer hell is the place for computers without computer backup.’
     • ‘The best solution is to make backup automatic, and there are many ways to do that depending on how much you are willing to pay.’

• 3North American An accumulation of something caused by a blockage, as in traffic or water.

  ‘there are long backups on all routes’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Major interstates are now northbound, but it's slow going, with traffic backups across the region.’
  • ‘Those are the worst cities, but every city that has a population over that of Denver's is seeing major traffic backups.’
  • ‘This led to massive traffic backups in one of the busiest parts of the city.’
  • ‘Imagine if we never again had people darting across three lanes of traffic to avoid a traffic backup or to get off on an exit at the last minute.’
  • ‘I was stuck in traffic, a mile-long backup that showed no sign of abating anytime soon.’
  • ‘Film crews, often causing traffic backups, are steadily becoming a common sight around the Joburg, as the city's reputation as a filmmaking destination spreads.’
  • ‘Likewise a durable waterproofing system needs to be implanted to stop water leakage from drainage backups or root puncture that could damage apartments below.’
  • ‘Both are constricting and reduce the flow of toxins, causing backups.’
  • ‘Along with human waste and other sewage, solid waste has inundated Baghdad's streets for decades, contributing to sewer backups, disease, and a tainted water supply.’
  • ‘Do not, however, take steps on your own if the water contains sewage, such as from a toilet backup.’
  • ‘A midblock crosswalk will completely disrupt the already short Grand-Snelling intersection, causing severe backups on both sides of the light.’
  • ‘Because almost five percent of total domestic flights go through O'Hare, the problems in Chicago create a ripple of backups elsewhere.’
  • ‘And it could simply be that there are some backups due to that single runway situation earlier.’
  • ‘She said no Plum homes in the Plum Creek section had backups during the flooding.’
  • ‘Now, one other thing we want to show you, and that is some of the backups on these county roads.’
  • ‘Now, I am going issue the warning right now, that this is going to cause a backup in many airports.’