: backward and forward
also
: between two places or persons
Synonyms
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
Julia MacCary, Variety, 4 May 2024
The playful back-and-forth began when McCarthy posted two pics on Instagram on Monday taken at the Pastels Center Theatre Group gala with Hairspray director Adam Shankman.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 May 2024
After back-and-forth, Davidson reached an agreement with the committee to remove the offending signs by Tuesday, Nicole Camarda, the county clerk’s office’s marketing and communications specialist, told the Statesman via email.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 2 May 2024
The actress had a fun back-and-forth with Venus on social media earlier in the week, and at the top of the month, caught up with PEOPLE about who specifically inspired her performance in the film, directed by Luca Guadagnino.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
With this in mind, Danda suggests parents keep their comments brief, which allows for more of a back-and-forth discussion and prevents the pitfall of the discussion from turning into a lecture.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 18 Apr. 2024
After some back-and-forth, Gosling’s character — wearing an electric blue shirt — agrees to sit somewhere else.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
As the back-and-forth continued, a resident who had an agenda item with a set start time approached the podium and interrupted the exchange.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
The Derry Girls star said the back-and-forth was made more difficult because the two shows are very different.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
Lamar and Drake have been trading insults back and forth for several weeks in a series of songs that captivated social media users.
—Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
While the novel is told almost exclusively from Jason's point of view, the show jumps back and forth between a variety of character's perspectives, giving viewers more insight into different relationships.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 8 May 2024
Tóibín handles these uncertainties and moral conundrums with exquisite delicacy, zigzagging back and forth through time to build to a devastating climax.
—Heller McAlpin, NPR, 7 May 2024
After arguing back and forth, Dolores decides to step in.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Our eyes keep going back and forth between her arches and her warm glowy blush.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 6 May 2024
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been going back and forth for what feels like forever (it’s only been about a month).
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 6 May 2024
If the speed is low enough, the pendulum will oscillate back and forth.
—Leila Sloman, WIRED, 5 May 2024
Noun
The comment comes after a string of social media back-and-forths concerning the biopic that is now in development at Warner Bros. subsidiary the Wolper Organization with writer Jordan Allen-Dutton attached.
—Julia MacCary, Variety, 4 May 2024
The playful back-and-forth began when McCarthy posted two pics on Instagram on Monday taken at the Pastels Center Theatre Group gala with Hairspray director Adam Shankman.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 May 2024
After back-and-forth, Davidson reached an agreement with the committee to remove the offending signs by Tuesday, Nicole Camarda, the county clerk’s office’s marketing and communications specialist, told the Statesman via email.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 2 May 2024
The actress had a fun back-and-forth with Venus on social media earlier in the week, and at the top of the month, caught up with PEOPLE about who specifically inspired her performance in the film, directed by Luca Guadagnino.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
With this in mind, Danda suggests parents keep their comments brief, which allows for more of a back-and-forth discussion and prevents the pitfall of the discussion from turning into a lecture.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 18 Apr. 2024
After some back-and-forth, Gosling’s character — wearing an electric blue shirt — agrees to sit somewhere else.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
As the back-and-forth continued, a resident who had an agenda item with a set start time approached the podium and interrupted the exchange.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
The Derry Girls star said the back-and-forth was made more difficult because the two shows are very different.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
Adverb
What little information is publicly available suggests Suarez spent the weekend toggling back and forth between his roles as mayor and businessman, blurring what are supposed to be clear lines between his public office and private business under Florida’s ethics rules.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
Lamar and Drake have been trading insults back and forth for several weeks in a series of songs that captivated social media users.
—Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
While the novel is told almost exclusively from Jason's point of view, the show jumps back and forth between a variety of character's perspectives, giving viewers more insight into different relationships.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 8 May 2024
Tóibín handles these uncertainties and moral conundrums with exquisite delicacy, zigzagging back and forth through time to build to a devastating climax.
—Heller McAlpin, NPR, 7 May 2024
After arguing back and forth, Dolores decides to step in.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Our eyes keep going back and forth between her arches and her warm glowy blush.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 6 May 2024
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been going back and forth for what feels like forever (it’s only been about a month).
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 6 May 2024
If the speed is low enough, the pendulum will oscillate back and forth.
—Leila Sloman, WIRED, 5 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back-and-forth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near back-and-forth
Cite this Entry
“Back-and-forth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-and-forth. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
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