back-to-back

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

ˈbak-tə-ˈbak 

1

: facing in opposite directions and often touching

2

: coming one after the other : consecutive

back-to-back

2 of 2

noun

plural back-to-backs

1

British : a house that is connected in a row with other houses on each side and with a similar row of houses behind it

These were where the millworkers dwelt, the worst of them known as back-to-backs because that is how they were built, without intervening space.

—Geoffrey Moorhouse

2

sports : a sequence of two games scheduled to be played on consecutive days

Miami began to beat elite teams and was bloodlessly efficient in the second half of back-to-backs, winning 11 in a row over a three-month stretch, a sign of a team with toughness.

—Jack McCallum

Synonyms of back-to-back

Adjective or adverb

• consecutive
• successive

Examples of back-to-back in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb

the three movies in the series were filmed back-to-back so that the cast members wouldn't age visibly on screen

the new governor was soon facing several back-to-back crises

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective or adverb

Six have gone undefeated en route to the national title, and six have brought home back-to-back championships. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026

Johnson responded in the second by matching Miles’ production with back-to-back 3s to put the Gamecocks ahead 33-26. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026

The economy occupies an increasingly precarious position as a string of back-to-back shocks has rattled it. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026

So far, only three golfers have achieved the feat of winning The Masters back-to-back: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for back-to-back

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback