Synonyms

back-and-forth

American

[bak-uhn-fawrth, -fohrth, -uhnd-] / ˈbæk ənˈfɔrθ, -ˈfoʊrθ, -ənd- /

adjective

backward and forward; side to side; to and fro.

a back-and-forth shuttling of buses to the stadium; the back-and-forth movement of a clock's pendulum.

noun

unresolved argument or discussion.

back and forth Idioms

Also, backward(s) and forward(s). To and fro, moving in one direction and then the opposite and so making no progress in either. For example, The clock pendulum swung back and forth. The term is also used figuratively, as in The lawyers argued the point backwards and forwards for an entire week. [c. 1600]

Usage

What does back-and-forth mean? Back-and-forth is a noun that means an argument or discussion in which little gets resolved.Back-and-forth is also used to describe something having a movement pattern in which it repeatedly moves somewhere and returns to where it started.A back-and-forth is a discussion where two or more people are failing to reach a compromise or a solution, as in I had a very long back-and-forth with my girlfriend about what to do with my dog.A back-and-forth is a much less productive version of a give-and-take, where people more easily reach a compromise.As an adjective, back-and-forth describes a movement from one point to another and then back to the original point, as in The audience stared at the back-and-forth movements of the hypnotist’s watch. Such a movement might be forward and backward and forward again or from one side to another and back to the first side.Example: The budget discussion became an intense back-and-forth where neither side wanted to concede anything.

Etymology

Origin of back-and-forth

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The back-and-forth became increasingly heated as Kennedy also peppered Noem for characterizing Good and Pretti as domestic terrorists.

From Los Angeles Times

That this didn’t happen has sparked a back-and-forth about culpability, with Deadline reporting BAFTA’s assurance that it made the BBC and the broadcast’s producers aware that the slur was audible shortly after Davidson blurted it.

From Salon

The fourth quarter went back-and-forth before the Suns built a 12-point lead with 6:28 left.

From Los Angeles Times

The back-and-forth rumbled on, Wardley grinning as the volume increased.

From BBC

The game went back-and-forth most of the fourth quarter, each play more important than the previous one, each moment more intense, each possession more meaningful for both teams.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023