Meaning & use
back filled
Last updated
“back filled” is a form of “backfill”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitivetechnical
Filled a hole or space again with the material that was taken out of it, especially after building work.
Grammar: Can take an object ('they backfilled the trench') or be used without one ('the crew backfilled after laying the pipe').
Patterns
- backfill a hole
- backfill with something
- backfill after something
Once the pipes were in place, the workers backfilled the trench.
The hole was backfilled with the same soil that had been dug out.
They backfilled around the new foundation before planting grass.
verbtransitivebusiness
Filled a job, position, or role that someone left, so that the team keeps working.
Grammar: Takes an object: you backfill a position or a role.
Patterns
- backfill a position
- backfill a role
- backfill someone's job
When the manager moved to another team, the company backfilled her role quickly.
The department has not backfilled the two jobs that were cut.
We need to backfill that position before the project starts.
verbtransitivebusinesscomputing
Added information or data to an earlier record or period so that the record is complete.
Grammar: Takes an object, often 'data', 'records', or a time period.
Patterns
- backfill data
- backfill records
- backfill a period
The team backfilled the sales data for the months before the new system started.
Analysts backfilled the missing figures from old paper reports.
The database was backfilled with customer addresses from last year.
Word forms
| third person singular | backfills |
|---|---|
| past tense | backfilled |
| past participle | backfilled |
| -ing form | backfilling |
Common combinations
- backfill a trench
- After the cables were laid, they backfilled the trench.
- backfill a position
- The school backfilled the teaching position in September.
- backfill data
- We had to backfill data from the old spreadsheets.
- backfill with soil
- The gardeners backfilled the hole with soil and pressed it down.
- backfill a vacancy
- It took months to backfill the vacancy in the finance team.
Synonyms and how they differ
- refill
- This means filling a container again and is used for everyday things like cups, not for holes in the ground or jobs.
- replace
- This fits people or things taking the place of others; it does not suggest filling the space with the same material, as backfill does.
- supplement
- This means adding something extra to improve or complete a whole, and is less specific than backfill in records or data.
Opposites
Word family
- backfill noun
- Material used to fill a hole or space again.
- backfilling noun
- The process of filling a hole or position again.
Commonly confused: back filled or backfield?
back filled vs backfield
In American football, the backfield is the area behind the line where running backs stand. It sounds like 'back filled' but is a completely different word.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'backfilled' correctly.
Choose one answer.
Backfilled means filled a hole again after work, so the ditch and gravel fit. Option 1 confuses it with 'recorded', option 2 should be 'filled' or 'packed', and option 3 wrongly makes rain the subject of this technical verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “back filled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.