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backward

/ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d/adjective · adverb

Backward is also used as adjective or adverb, with meanings including directed or facing toward the back or rear or at or to or toward the back or rear.

7 meanings8 lettersScrabble 20

Length

8

Scrabble

20

WWF

22

Starts

BA

Ends

ARD

Difficulty

Hard

Dictionary

What Does “BACKWARD” Mean?

/ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d/

backward has 7 documented senses across adjective, adverb.

Adjective

4 senses
1

directed or facing toward the back or rear

a backward view

2

(used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature

a backward lover

3

retarded in intellectual development

Synonyms

4

having made less than normal progress

an economically backward country

Adverb

3 senses
1

at or to or toward the back or rear

he moved back

tripped when he stepped backward

she looked rearward out the window of the car

2

in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal

it's easy to get the ‘i’ and the ‘e’ backward in words like ‘seize’ and ‘siege’

the child put her jersey on backward

Synonyms

3

in or to or toward a past time

set the clocks back an hour

never look back

lovers of the past looking fondly backward

Synonyms

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

8

Vowels

2

Consonants

6

Word Intelligence

Explore the word backward with its definition, score, letter pattern, and useful word game details.

Definition

directed or facing toward the back or rear

Length

8 letters

Starts With

B

Ends With

D

Vowels

2

Consonants

6

Letters

B, A, C, K, W, A, R, D

Use Case

Useful for Scrabble, Wordle, crosswords, anagrams, and other word games.

Letter Breakdown

b
a
c
k
w
a
r
d

Word Facts

Key letter, score, and pattern facts for backward.

BACKWARD is a 8-letter word.
It has a Scrabble score of 20.
It starts with B and ends with D.
It contains 2 vowels and 6 consonants.
Its vowel share is about 25%.
It has 1 repeated letter.
It is not a palindrome.
Letter pattern: ABCDEBFG.
Vowel/consonant pattern: CVCCCVCC.

Word Strategy

Strategy notes for using backward in Scrabble, Wordle-style games, crosswords, and anagram solving.

Scrabble Strategy

★★★★★

BACKWARD has a Scrabble score of 20. It is useful for balancing a rack and building steady board position.

Wordle Strategy

★★☆☆☆

BACKWARD is not five letters, so it is not a standard Wordle answer, but its letter pattern can still help with word analysis.

Crossword Strategy

★★★☆☆

BACKWARD can be useful in crossword solving because it has a clear starting letter, ending letter, and 8-letter structure.

Anagram Strategy

★★★☆☆

BACKWARD contains repeated letters, which can make anagram solving more constrained but also easier to pattern-match.

Letter Intelligence

A deeper look at the letter structure, patterns, and useful game signals inside backward.

Unique Letters

7

Repeated Letters

1

Highest Value Letter

K

Letter Pattern

ABCDEBFG

CV Pattern

CVCCCVCC

Vowel Share

25%

Consonant Share

75%

Bigrams

BA, AC, CK, KW, WA, AR, RD

Trigrams

BAC, ACK, CKW, KWA, WAR, ARD

Crossword Intelligence

Crossword-style clues, crossing help, and pattern notes for backward.

BACKWARD is a 8-letter longer themed answer.
It starts with B and ends with D, which helps narrow crossword crossings.
It contains 2 vowels and 6 consonants.
Its vowel/consonant pattern is CVCCCVCC.
Crossword difficulty estimate: Hard.

Related Words

Word Usage Insights

Practical observations about how this word performs in different word games and puzzle situations.

This word contains 8 letters and is suitable for medium-length word games.
Its consonant/vowel pattern is CVCCCVCC, making it relatively challenging to recognize.
With a Scrabble score of 20, it offers strong scoring potential.
The word begins with B and ends with D, making it useful for solving pattern-based puzzles.
Some letters repeat, which can be useful when identifying anagrams.

Word Intelligence Links

Explore word lists connected to BACKWARD by length, score, vowels, consonants, starting letters, ending letters, and word game tools.

Word Family

Explore words that share a similar beginning or root pattern with backward.

Related Word Tools

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