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backbone

[bak-bohn] / ˈbækˌboʊn /


NOUN
spinal column of vertebrate
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Transfer pathways, he added, “will remain essential, and CSU and UC will always be the backbone of baccalaureate education in California.”

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 1, 2026

Water risks becoming a flashpoint in a region grappling with climate change and population growth, which are stretching resources in the agricultural sectors that form the backbone of both countries' economies, experts say.

From Barron's Aug. 31, 2026

U.S. government bonds remain the backbone of the global financial system and set the baseline for a range of investments.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 27, 2026

A sausage-and-pepper meal starter eliminates most of the chopping; canned tomatoes provide the sauce’s backbone; and a few spoonfuls of prepared sun-dried tomato pesto pull everything into focus.

From Salon Aug. 25, 2026

There was no difficulty in twisting an externally situated backbone into a shape compatible with the X-ray evidence.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

The chart shows strongly performing security and infrastructure, which provides “critical data backbones, compute pipelines and complex protection systems that generative models actively expand rather than displace.”

From MarketWatch Jul. 27, 2026

For decades, palaeontologists believed that the largest ocean predators were vertebrates with backbones such as fish and reptiles while invertebrates like octopuses and squid played supporting roles.

From BBC Apr. 23, 2026

Sea squirts are invertebrates, making them useful for identifying differences between animals without backbones and those with them.

From Science Daily Feb. 4, 2026

Animals without a backbones evolved first, around 700 million years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 21, 2025

Turner sat on the stool, and he heard her settle backbones creaking and snapping.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt




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