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

Last week Micron slumped 10%, recording its first back to back weekly losses since last July, demonstrating just how powerful its trend has been.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

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 • Feb. 24, 2026

Only three other acts have gone back to back in record of the year: Billie Eilish, U2 and the late Roberta Flack.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

One of the demos was on the 2008 issue, but the impact of hearing the two of these back to back is simply stunning.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2025

First girl up to bat gets struck out: she hits Cala’s fastball, but it’s a foul, and the two Quickfire changeups that come at her back to back are both swings and misses.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• later