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Definitions

backbone

[bak-bohn] / ˈbækˌboʊn /


NOUN
spinal column of vertebrate
Synonyms


Example Sentences

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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

The U.S. has more than 5,400 data centers, which are the backbone of the internet and power the apps on your smartphone.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 31, 2026

The bout was billed as a classic grappler versus striker match-up, with Makhachev's signature wrestling providing the backbone for his dominant run in the UFC.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

The seven thermal power plants that form the national grid's backbone have all been in operation for more than 40 years, and are in various states of disrepair.

From Barron's Aug. 2, 2026

I wasn’t sure I did have enough backbone to face Traft one more time.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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

Scientists at the University of St Andrews have identified an important missing piece in understanding how animals with backbones first evolved.

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

At the same time, it strongly suggested that the backbones of the two chains must run in opposite directions.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson




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