Backbone
The crossword clue "Backbone" is answered by SPINE, a 5-letter entry. Used 121 times across 39 distinct years; most recently in 2026; first recorded in 1946. It appears in 22 publications in the xd corpus. Every figure on this page comes from the pilot data itself.
The answer
SPINE
5 letters. See every clue for this answer on the SPINE answer page.
Used 121 times across 39 distinct years; most recently in 2026; first recorded in 1946. It appears in 22 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.
Other answers for this clue
The same clue has also been answered these ways in the xd corpus. Answers inside this pilot link to their own answer page.
- GRIT (11 uses in xd)
- CHINE (8 uses in xd)
- SPUNK (4 uses in xd)
- MAINSTAY (2 uses in xd)
Related clues
Pilot clues of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.
- Cubic meter - STERE, used 273 times
- Frighten - SCARE, used 195 times
- Take the wheel - STEER, used 188 times
- Run-down - SEEDY, used 178 times
- Scatter - STREW, used 178 times
- Tendon - SINEW, used 178 times
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