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Glite Dictionary
to back into

to back into

173 2.7
To move a vehicle backwards into a parking space so the back goes in
  • phrasal verb
  • /bæk ˈɪntu/
translation icon : entrar marcha atrás
  • The truck backed into the loading dock to deliver the shipment.

Examples

  • You need to get back into your vehicles.

    Final Destination 2 (2003)

  • Why don't we get him to tow us back into town and we'll get someone there to fix it?

    Wolf Creek (2005)

  • "Sorry, Bern," Harry says, climbing back into the cart on the passenger side.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • He carefully backed into the parking spot to avoid hitting the curb.

  • She backed into the driveway after picking up her friend.

Synonyms

to back
vsto back into
475 1.0

To move in the direction behind you

focuses on entering a space rear-first rather than just moving backward
to back up
vsto back into
  • Specialized
238 2.7

Move backwards to make space or avoid something

moves backward aiming to enter a space rear-first
reverse
vsto back into
  • Specialized
3 3.9

Causing a vehicle to move backward

is the driving action aimed at entering a space rear-first rather than the gear

Surface Forms

back into infinitive
backed into past
backed into past participle
backing into present participle
backs into third person singular

Morphology

back + into

The meaning 'to move a vehicle in reverse so that it enters a space' is directly derivable from combining 'back' (to move backward) with 'into' (movement into an enclosure). This simple motion verb + preposition composition is cross-linguistically common and would be understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The phrasal verb back into paints a simple picture: you back or move backward so the rear goes into a space, like reversing a car into a parking spot. So it means 'to move a vehicle in reverse so it enters a space'.