1
as in exchange
a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another
after the usual back-and-forth of official gifts, the two leaders entered into a serious discussion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in discussion
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
the others listened with relish to the back-and-forth between the two noted professors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back-and-forth
Michigan’s win against Northwestern was as disjointed as a back-and-forth game possibly can be, bogged down by fouls, elbows, stoppages and monitor reviews.
—
Austin Meek, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
After weeks of public back-and-forth between Butler’s agent, Bernard Lee — who denied any discontent from Butler — and ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler’s admission made a splash.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2025
There were seven breaks of serve between No. 19 seed Keys and Świątek in an epic back-and-forth first set, with the Polish star edging ahead after breaking her opponent for the fourth time.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Despite some back-and-forth with Congress, subsequent mayors have continued to reissue the order as other cities, such as Chicago and Boston, adopted similar policies.
—Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for back-and-forth 
Austin Meek, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
After weeks of public back-and-forth between Butler’s agent, Bernard Lee — who denied any discontent from Butler — and ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler’s admission made a splash.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2025
There were seven breaks of serve between No. 19 seed Keys and Świątek in an epic back-and-forth first set, with the Polish star edging ahead after breaking her opponent for the fourth time.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Despite some back-and-forth with Congress, subsequent mayors have continued to reissue the order as other cities, such as Chicago and Boston, adopted similar policies.
—Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for back-and-forth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back-and-forth
Noun
-
In other words, Bibi has paused long enough now to gain leverage - with American help - for success on a bigger scale than a hostage exchange.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
While there are many, many models of potential dark matter candidates, many interact with regular particles through exchanges involving the Higgs boson — a fundamental particle that interacts with almost all other particles and, through those interactions, imbues those particles with mass.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Crypto has been a priority of discussion and debate both during the 2024 election and run-up to the 2025 inauguration, and 2025 is set to be a positive year for crypto, but might have more bumps than some forecasters expect. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
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While McCourt made an official bid, Musk’s name was reportedly floated in discussions with the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg.—
Zoë Schiffer,
WIRED,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The case underscores growing national debates about religious liberty, public funding for education, and the intersection of state action with constitutional protections.—
Kaelan Deese,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Connecticut tenants revived an effort Thursday to expand protections against no-fault evictions, signaling the start of what will likely be a contentious debate during this year’s General Assembly session over the government’s role in regulating the landlord-tenant relationship.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Isabella Aslam, 19, from London, has struggled with mental health issues and food aversion throughout her teens and was left stunned and upset by a routine phone consultation with her doctor.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
The program runs from February through March and provides in-home design consultations that give consumers an easy, no-stress introduction to working with a designer.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Sherwin-Williams, for example, offers 30-minute virtual consults with their in-house color experts.—
Laura Fenton,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Jan. 2025
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Integrated tracking provides insights to fuel further optimization toward business KPIs like first consult and patient conversion rates.—
Bahram Moshrefnoory,
Forbes,
5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.—
MARK SHERMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
18 Jan. 2025
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That the Flames are in the conversation is still impressive, though.—
Sean Gentille,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Other potential investors who are engaged in the talks include Microsoft.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
25 Jan. 2025
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At a science museum, zoo, or aquarium, there are typically scheduled talks, educational activities, and shows throughout the day.—
Linnea Bailey,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near back-and-forth
Cite this Entry
“Back-and-forth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back-and-forth. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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