back to back

American  

adverb

1. (of two similar events) following one immediately after the other; in unbroken sequence; consecutively.

   After losing all day, he picked winners back to back in the last two races.

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adjective

1. adjacent or contiguous but oppositely oriented; having the backs close together or adjoining.

   The seats in the day coach are back to back.

2. Stud Poker. (of a pair) consisting of the hole card and the first upcard.

   He had aces back to back.

back-to-back British  

adjective

1. facing in opposite directions, often with the backs touching

2. (of urban houses) built so that their backs are joined or separated only by a narrow alley

3. informal consecutive

4. commerce

   1. denoting a credit arrangement in which a finance house acts as an intermediary to conceal the identity of the seller from the buyer

   2. denoting a loan from one company to another in a different country using a finance house to provide the loan but not the funding

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noun

1. a house or terrace built in back-to-back style

back to back Idioms  

1. With backs close together or touching, as in In the first and second rows of the bus, the seats were back to back, an unusual arrangement . This term also can be applied to persons who stand facing in opposite directions and with their backs touching. [Mid-1800s]

2. Consecutively, one after another, as in I'm exhausted; I had three meetings back to back . [Mid-1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of back to back

First recorded in 1450–1500

Example Sentences

Staff at a business in Swansea have said it was "absolutely nuts" to have American rapper Snoop Dogg perform a full hour private set of "back to back classics" in their canteen.

From BBC

Quinn said it was "absolutely nuts" as the global star was only meant to do a DJ set originally but his performance turned into "an hour of back to back classics", amid cheers from the crowd.

From BBC

Bullock’s calendar is now packed back to back with Beltway meetings.

From The Wall Street Journal

It also filled a gap from April 22, shortly after back to back bottoming bullish counterattack and engulfing candles on April 7 and 9.

From Barron's

Trouble arguably began with back to back doji candles last August and resurfaced again in December.

From Barron's

Related Words

• later