to-and-fro

1 of 3

noun

: activity involving alternating movement in opposite directions
the busy to-and-fro of the holiday shoppers

to-and-fro

2 of 3

adjective

: forward and backward

to and fro

3 of 3

adverb

: from one place to another

Examples of to-and-fro in a Sentence

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
Several are part of a children’s play area and another is a ride which swings to-and-fro past a huge windmill. Caroline Reid, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025 That’s enough to pace the to-and-fro motion of a star to within 1 meter per second—about walking speed—from hundreds of light-years away. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2011
Adverb
For the previous three weeks, he’s been flitting to and fro in preparation for this year’s edition. John Last, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024 That has been an especially agonizing question for Palestinians in Gaza, ordered to and fro by Israel for more than a year. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for to-and-fro 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1553, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1749, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of to-and-fro was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near to-and-fro

Toamasina

to-and-fro

to and fro

Cite this Entry

“To-and-fro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to-and-fro. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

to-and-fro

adjective
ˌtü-ən-ˈfrō
: forward and backward
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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