Backbone
Backbone noun - The strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship.
Usage example: it takes backbone to stand up to the kind of suffering that some cancer patients must endure
Mettle is a synonym for backbone in strength of character topic. In some cases you can use "Mettle" instead a noun "Backbone".
Nearby Word: backboned
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
| intellectual | intellectual backbone | intellectual mettle |
Cite this Source
Mettle and Backbone. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/backbone/mettle
Backbone & Mettle. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/backbone/mettle>.
Mettle or Backbone. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/backbone/mettle.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "backbone" and "mettle" have occurred on timeline