Jump To:

• 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.

---

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]

---

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 documents show in detail the uneasy back-and-forth between Anthropic Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei and Emil Michael, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

I caught snippets of their back-and-forth, heard their feet slap against the pavement.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

"I was driving back and forth to work too. Looking back, I could have had a seizure at any point, it could have ended really badly."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

After some back and forth, McElwee relented, letting Adrian try his slow zooms and dynamic shots.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

The waves could have gotten the vessel to oscillate back and forth, Sharpe said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Mav’s all over me though, his paws on my shoulders, tail swishing back and forth 180 degrees.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam