back-and-forth

1 of 2

noun

ˈbak-ən(d)-ˈfȯrth How to pronounce back-and-forth (audio)
Synonyms of back-and-forth
: discussion sense 1, give-and-take
also : exchange sense 1

back and forth

2 of 2

adverb

: backward and forward
also : between two places or persons

Synonyms of back-and-forth

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of back-and-forth in a Sentence

Noun after the usual back-and-forth of official gifts, the two leaders entered into a serious discussion the others listened with relish to the back-and-forth between the two noted professors Adverb The chair rocked back and forth. The children were shuttled back and forth between school and home.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The surprising rapprochement comes more than a year after a tumultuous back-and-forth between Starkey and the band led by Daltrey, 80 and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend, 81. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Bass has not emerged unscathed during the back-and-forth. — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Adverb
Again, police reviewed surveillance and spoke with witnesses as Crowder was moving back and forth between stores, Pobokhian said. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Another has taken on four jobs in Japan to cover the cost of keeping up with flying back and forth. — Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back-and-forth

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1941, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back-and-forth was in 1613

Rhymes for back-and-forth

See All Rhymes for back-and-forth

Browse Nearby Words

back and fill
back-and-forth
back and forth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back-and-forth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-and-forth. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All