noun
adj
verb
adv

Textual thesaurus for "backbone"

(noun) spine

the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved

the title and author were printed on the spine of the book


(noun) gumption, guts, grit, sand, moxie

fortitude and determination

he didn't have the guts to try it


(noun) back, vertebral column, spinal column, spine, rachis

the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord

the fall broke his back


(noun) lynchpin, mainstay, keystone, linchpin, anchor

a central cohesive source of support and stability

faith is his anchor; the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money; he is the linchpin of this firm