This document defines and provides examples for several common idioms that use the word "back". It explains that to give someone a pat on the back means to praise them, to back someone up means to support or help them, and to back out of something means to decide not to do something you had agreed to do. It also defines being back to square one as having to restart from the beginning after a previous failure, and getting back to the grind as returning to work after a break.

1. Back Idioms
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2. To give someone a pat on the back
- to praise someone for something
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Jessie’s father gave
her a pat on the
back by taking her
to her favorite ice-
cream shop after
she won a figure
skating
competition.

3. To back someone up
– to provide support or help for someone
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In soccer, it’s good
to have someone
who can back you
up.

4. To back out of something
- to decide not to do something that you had said you would do
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The chief
officer backed out of giving
this year's commencement
address at the university last
minute, so they had to find a
quick solution.

5. To be back to square one
- if you are back to square one, you have to start
working on a plan from the beginning because your
previous attempt failed completely
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Marcus and his family
realized they would be
back to square one
building a career in
their new country, but
they also were
optimistic about the
possibilities the move
would give them.

6. To get back to the grind
- to return to work after a break
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It’s nice to have a
coffee break, but
we should really
get back to the
grind. I still have a
pile of documents
to file.