back-and-forth

American  

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

adjective

1. 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.

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noun

1. unresolved argument or discussion.

back and forth Idioms  

1. 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]

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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

Makary said Wednesday on Fox News that some consider Moderna’s trial to have been “unethical” but that the FDA’s feedback to the company was “normal back-and-forth dialogue.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“All kidding aside, the historic back-and-forth action in the S&P 500 over the last three months reflects not only the market’s inability to break out above 7,000, but also the buy-the-dip mentality that remained ingrained in the psyche of investors,” the Bespoke analysts said in written commentary.

From MarketWatch

It was a back-and-forth affair.

From Los Angeles Times

Though all of the back-and-forth between Celeste and Johannes grates the viewer as it circles the drain, Charli, Zamiri and Brandes are aiming and firing at a very real and expanding phenomenon.

From Salon

Amid the debate’s dodging, weaving, yammering and spicy back-and-forth, there were a few moments when the candidates rose above the din.

From Los Angeles Times