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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

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

To Beijing’s regulators, the back-and-forth in Washington has reinforced the idea that governments need to keep a tight grip on powerful AI technology to prevent misuse in areas such as cyberwarfare and bioweapons development.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

There was a lot of back-and-forth about what was needed to differentiate the product.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

The consensus around Clovis helped beat them back, but the confused back-and-forth ushered in by the genetic studies has provided a new opening.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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

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

He rode the bus for hours, back and forth in front of OpenAI looking at every face—but he couldn’t find Kirchner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Hall, who has recently moved to the Scottish Borders from Bristol, said she was left "going back and forth to the doctors for years and years, saying 'nothing's working, nothing's helping'."

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Dad strokes her hairline and gently rocks her back and forth.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller