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• back-and-forth
  back-and-forth

  adjective

  backward and forward; side to side; to and fro.
• back and forth
  back and forth

  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]

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

See Examples For:

back-and-forth back and forth

Following the diplomatic back-and-forth about a potentially existential subject could tire anyone out, so spend the rest of your night doing something else!

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

The back-and-forth between Taylor Farms and regulators is the latest wrinkle that consumers have to navigate while they figure out what’s safe to eat right now.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

"The back-and-forth in monthly home sales activity, driven by mild fluctuations in mortgage rates, shows how sensitive home buyers are to affordability conditions," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun in a statement.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

The remarks came after several days of back-and-forth strikes between the U.S. and Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

"This rover hack might get kind of detailed. We may have to do a bunch of back-and-forth communication with Watney."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

He's been based in a Times Square studio but one of his fellow podcasters Micah Richards has been commuting back and forth, external from the Big Apple to Salford to fulfil his BBC duties.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Though Neill had more than a lifetime’s experience playing characters who were solely benevolent or entirely wicked, he was remarkably adept at navigating the journey back and forth between these two polarities.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

During my childhood, our family moved back and forth between the United States and the Philippines before eventually settling here.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

Rhode Island regulators went back and forth with the company for years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

We start bickering back and forth in the time-honored tradition of siblings everywhere.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold