Meaning & use
Piggyback
Last updated
To take advantage of an existing system, plan, or effort in order to gain benefit for oneself.
See it in a sentence
The startup piggybacked on the tech giant's cloud infrastructure to cut costs.
She piggybacked her research onto an ongoing university study.
A note on using this word
Originally described carrying a child on one's back or shoulders; the figurative sense of building on someone else's work emerged in the 20th century.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adverb
Carried on someone's back or shoulders.
The toddler rode piggyback on his father's shoulders through the crowd.
3. noun
A ride given on someone's back or shoulders.
He gave his little sister a piggyback across the muddy field.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Piggyback”, then compare your use with the examples above.