1
as in spine
a column of bones supporting the trunk of a vertebrate animal
found the backbone of a fish lying on the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
it takes backbone to stand up to the kind of suffering that some cancer patients must endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backbone
Cuba’s aging thermal power plants—the backbone of the system, nearly all of which run on crude oil or fuel oil—are becoming less reliable, and must operate well below capacity because of fuel shortages and corrosion.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 1 July 2025
The Pell Grant—the backbone of the nation’s college financial aid system—is facing a funding shortfall at the exact moment students need it most.
—Kim Cook, Time, 1 July 2025
As far as Republicans in Congress are concerned, their backbones will miraculously appear the minute a Democrat is elected president.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Diffusion models, the backbone of image-generating tools such as DALL·E, Imagen and Stable Diffusion, are designed to generate carbon copies of the images on which they’ve been trained.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backbone
IEEE Spectrum, 1 July 2025
The Pell Grant—the backbone of the nation’s college financial aid system—is facing a funding shortfall at the exact moment students need it most.
—Kim Cook, Time, 1 July 2025
As far as Republicans in Congress are concerned, their backbones will miraculously appear the minute a Democrat is elected president.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Diffusion models, the backbone of image-generating tools such as DALL·E, Imagen and Stable Diffusion, are designed to generate carbon copies of the images on which they’ve been trained.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backbone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backbone
Noun
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Many are exquisitely engineered with complex mechanisms that bring fluidity and motion to the spine of the jewel, including earrings and necklaces that move with the body.—
Kate Matthams,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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Fast Company said that lesions on his spine that left him ill and caused problems with walking.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Ethical Memory Vault: A secure story engine that records acts of moral courage—feeding these back into leadership training, AI models and onboarding systems.—
Shekar Natarajan,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Hutchins later credited Jenner with giving her the courage to make the same transition.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Palencia’s ability to lock in after hitting Contreras showed his self-confidence and mental fortitude not to let the game spiral after the heated exchange.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
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Belief is a cornerstone of the Williams family and the eldest son, as a result, developed mental fortitude early.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Gorges has also been studying the seeds' cellulose nano fibers, which—depending on the level of hydration—can exhibit either high or low friction or adhesion.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 July 2025
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Though not as fast as Frontier’s top fiber tiers, Breezeline offers more budget-friendly starting rates.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Noun
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There’s one main meter, hydration, where the hot desert will deplete that over time, sapping your stamina and eventually your health.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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But stamina, recovery, resilience and adaptability are as essential to athletic performance.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
Noun
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This formula strikes the perfect balance between grit and hydration—natural sea salt boosts volume and definition, while moringa seed oil helps lock in moisture and adds a healthy sheen to curls and waves.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
30 June 2025
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Fatigue is reframed as grit, while emotional exhaustion is labeled as discipline, and recovery is viewed as optional.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Her bravery, poise, and care are an example to not only her campers but to all of us.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
7 July 2025
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For her bravery, she was later honored as Righteous Among the Nations.—
Linda Ambrus Broenniman,
Baltimore Sun,
3 July 2025
Noun
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The network of community leaders and officials all questioned the administration’s determination that Haiti is now safe enough for people to return.—
Churchill Ndonwie,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
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The increasingly obvious awfulness of Dave’s book gives Smollett some great reaction work amid all Michelle’s pained determination.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backbone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backbone. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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