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
A couple of home wins were followed by back-to-back away defeats and guaranteeing a return to the top flight by ending in the top two was put at risk again. Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025 The Nets, streaking again with back-to-back wins, improved to 16-33. C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 2 Feb. 2025 The coach piloted the Yankees to back-to-back Open Division finals in 2020 and 2021, falling both times to Palisades. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2025 Clark, who became college basketball’s all-time leading scorer while leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship appearances, spoke about her jersey retirement before the game. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 2 Feb. 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 5 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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