Phrasal verbs: Back up

One more example of a phrase that can be used as a phrasal verb as well as a noun is the phrase “back up.”

This post will explain the meaning of the phrase in each of its uses and give examples of each way that it can be used.

Back up: As you may remember from another post, one of the many meanings of the phrasal verb “back up” is “to make an alternative copy of something.” It can also mean “apoiar.”

Since this phrasal verb has already been discussed, these are the only meanings that we will revisit since they are the most relevant to the discussion of this post. Here is an example of how it is used:

I need you to back up all the files on my computer.

This phrase can also be used as a noun which refers to the alternative copies of something or it can mean “apoio.” In some cases, this phrase can be a synonym for “substitute.” Here are some examples:

I need to create a back up for this file so that I will have it if the computer crashes.

We are outnumbered. I’m going to need some back up.

Since our starting goalie was hurt, the coach put in a back up.

One last way “back up” can be used is as an adjective which describes the kind of substitute. It is most commonly used in sports. Here is an example:

The coach put in the backup goalie since the starting goalie was hurt.