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back and forth

adv, adj, noun — 4 senses

back and forth

adv

/ˈbæ.kənˌfɔːθ/ · /ˈbæ.kəndˌfɔːθ/

1

From one place to another and back again.

  • One frigid November evening, the mood was buoyant as two dozen mostly older Chinatown residents poured into the center. One by one, they tossed their parkas on chairs and took turns at the karaoke machine. Soon, the room was alive with people dancing and singing under a haze of blue strobe lights. A projector flashed images of the Chinese countryside and women dancing in embroidered, silk costumes. Nearby, younger people darted back and forth at Ping-Pong tables.2026 March 24, Chris Serres, Danny McDonald, Mable Chan, The Boston Globe, retrieved 31 May 2026:
Related terms
here and there, hither and thither, hither and yon
Coordinate terms
out-and-back, out-and-home, side-to-side, there and back, to and fro, up and down

back and forth

adj
1

Going from one place or position to another and back again.

  • The back and forth movement of the tide causes erosion of the coastline.

back and forth

noun
1

The movement (of someone or something) forward followed by a return to the same position. May refer to a concept such as an emotional state or a relationship as well as a physical thing.

  • Roll the ball to your child, who then rolls it back to you. After a few back-and-forths, roll the ball to a nearby corner of the room or other hiding place.2009, Dorothy Rich with Beverly Mattox, Megaskills for Babies, Toddlers, and Beyond: Building Your Child's Happiness, page 43:
2

Negotiations or discussions (not necessarily fruitful) between two or more parties; a dialog.

  • There's some back and forth between Simpson and his CIA counterparts and, in essence, the CIA says that you must ship all of the quantities requested.1895, United States Congress, “Congressional serial set”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 11214, page 718:
  • It was months and months of back and forth, ah-ah, ah-ah You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore2014 October 27, Taylor Swift, Imogen Heap, “Clean (Taylor's Version)”, in 1989 (Taylor's Version), performed by Taylor Swift, published 27 October 2023:
Synonyms
tug of war

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.