Meaning & use
back page
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Meanings
nouncountable
The last page of a newspaper, magazine, or book, often used for a particular section or feature.
Grammar: Countable: use 'the back page' or 'back pages'. Often with 'on' or 'of'.
Patterns
- on the back page
- the back page of something
- the back pages
The sports results are always on the back page.
She turned to the back page to find the crossword.
The story made the back page of every newspaper.
adjectivebefore a noun
Appearing on or relating to the back page of a publication.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a back-page story. Sometimes written with a hyphen.
Patterns
- back-page story
- back-page news
- back-page article
The scandal was a back-page story for weeks.
He writes a back-page column for the local paper.
They published a back-page article about the event.
Word forms
| plural | back pages |
|---|
Common combinations
- on the back page
- The advertisement is on the back page.
- back-page news
- It was front-page news, not back-page news.
- the back page of the newspaper
- The editor put the photo on the back page of the newspaper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- last page
- More general and can refer to any document; 'back page' is common for newspapers and magazines.
Opposites
Word family
- back-page adjective
- Hyphenated form used before a noun, as in 'back-page story'.
Commonly confused: back page or backpage?
back page vs backpage
One word 'backpage' is sometimes used informally, but the standard spelling is two words: 'back page'.
Practice
The football scores are printed ______ the back page.
Choose one answer.
We say 'on the back page' because the information appears on the surface of the page. 'In' would be used for a section or column, not the page itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “back page”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.