to back up
Preserved but no longer current.
To uphold, to support. As one who stands at your back to support you. An advance by the batsman not taking strike at cricket in order to be ready to take a quick run if the striker makes an opportunity.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to back up” mean?
To uphold, to support. As one who stands at your back to support you. An advance by the batsman not taking strike at cricket in order to be ready to take a quick run if the striker makes an opportunity.
Is “to back up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.