back-to-back

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

1
: facing in opposite directions and often touching
2
: coming one after the other : consecutive

back-to-back

2 of 2

noun

plural back-to-backs
1
British : a house that is connected in a row with other houses on each side and with a similar row of houses behind it
These were where the millworkers dwelt, the worst of them known as back-to-backs because that is how they were built, without intervening space.Geoffrey Moorhouse
2
sports : a sequence of two games scheduled to be played on consecutive days
Miami began to beat elite teams and was bloodlessly efficient in the second half of back-to-backs, winning 11 in a row over a three-month stretch, a sign of a team with toughness.Jack McCallum

Examples of back-to-back in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb the three movies in the series were filmed back-to-back so that the cast members wouldn't age visibly on screen the new governor was soon facing several back-to-back crises
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective or adverb
In addition to the weight misses, Gooden had also lost back-to-back fights, with the most recent defeat coming on March 29 against Mahamed Aly at a Shogun Fights event. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 Each of New York’s final three matchups against Cleveland have fallen on a back-to-back. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2025 This Celtics-Grizzlies set marks the Heat’s 15th and final back-to-back set of the season. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 Toronto faces the Panthers and Lightning in its next three games, with a back-to-back on the road in Florida next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. James Mirtle, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for back-to-back

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back-to-back was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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