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
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.
Adjective or adverb
Stockpiling the kind of depth of talent that helped fuel Georgia’s back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 and Nick Saban’s decade of dominance at Alabama has never been harder. David Ubben, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025 But back-to-back 3s by Aberdeen and Will Richard pushed to advantage to 18-6. Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025 During his first two seasons with the Jets, Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC championship game appearances. Antwan Staley, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025 In 2021, more than 100 people died as the state's power grid failed during back-to-back ice storms. Julia Reinstein, ABC News, 8 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near back-to-back

Cite this Entry

“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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