Commentary: Includes: BACK UP, BACK OUT Syntax Includes: NP1 BACK (NP2) PP[directional]
NOTE: may include abstract backing into a corner.
Examples:
Back into the driveway.
The car backed up and hit the tree.
Back the car into the parking spot.
Back out slowly, and don't hit the mailbox this time.
They are getting backed into the corner, and they are getting desperate.
I never did get a straight answer out of him as to why he backed into me.
He backed me into the ropes and hit me with three straight knife-edge chops.
Mappings:
VerbNet: put_direction-9.4,run-51.3.2-2
FrameNet: Self_motion
PropBank: back.02,back.06
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2, 4
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
back_out 1
back_up 2
Commentary: Syntax Is: NP1 BACK NP2 (PP[instrumental])
Examples:
I backed Kennedy in 1960.
I can't back this plan.
He doesn't have the resources to back this enterprise.
Which horse are you backing?
Can you back up your claims with proof?
Here's what those who backed the war are saying today.
Trump has backed the venture with his own money rather than opting for a financial partner.
Woodman backed the trumpeter along with Mingus on bass.
Back the board with a piece of hard wood.
Back up the wheel pant mount with a piece of plywood so you do not split it as the drill.
His colleague, who was recently given a regular column in the LA Times, backed him up.
Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: back.01,back.04
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
back_up 1, 3
Examples:
John's house backs the city dump.
The prosperous plain backs up to the Vosges mountains.
Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: back.03,back.08
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 6
Examples:
Did you back up your files?
Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: back.09
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
back_up 4
Commentary: Includes: BACK AWAY, BACK OUT
Examples:
One scholar involved in the study quickly backed away from that notion.
Sun Microsystems has apparently backed away from its efforts to acquire a Linux software distribution.
The school board has backed away from wading into the more-than-century-old debate over teaching the theory of evolution.
He backed out of his earlier promise.
Mappings:
VerbNet: withdraw-82-1
FrameNet: Going_back_on_a_commitment
PropBank: NM
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
back_out 2
back_away 1
Commentary: Includes: BACK OFF, BACK DOWN
Examples:
Iran's message to the west: back off or we retaliate.
In the process, the author backed off one of the book's most explosive claims.
The bully had to back down.
Caribbean tourism officials backed down from a proposal to charge cruise ship passengers tax when visiting the region.
Ben never backed down, even when he knew his job was threatened by that.
Mappings:
VerbNet: withdraw-82-2
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: NM
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
back_down 1, 2
back_off 1, 2
Examples:
Cars backed up for miles on I-94.
The toilet backed up again.
I stuffed too much down the garbage disposal and the pipes backed up.
The second highway backed up because 1/2 mile or so ahead of the merging area the highway was also one lane.
Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: back.10
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
back_up 5
Examples:
The wind backed.
Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 8