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

Adjective or adverb

• consecutive
• sequent
• sequential
• straight
• succeeding
• successional
• successive

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Arkansas entered the eighth inning with an 8-5 lead courtesy of the back-to-back-to-back shots by Stovall, Diggs and Cali against Illinois State relief ace Erik Kubiatowicz. —Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2023

Smith had 8 points and opened up the game with the hot hand, hitting from the top of the key on back-to-back possessions. —Shelby Dermer, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2023

California mountain communities stranded by back-to-back storms East of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, residents in mountain communities were stranded by heavy snow with some dealing with as much as seven feet of snow. —Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2023

The back-to-back leaks created a bit of drama on the station as well. —Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2023

The North American leg of their End of the Road Tour will kick off in Texas in October and is set to conclude with back-to-back shows in the band's hometown at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. Announcing - The Final 50 Shows. —Gina Martinez, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2023

Giannis Antetokounmpo is starting and Joe Ingles is going to play in his first set of back-to-back games of the season. —Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2023

The Rams made three consecutive appearances in the state tournament from 1985-1987 and back-to-back trips in 2000 and 2001. —Evan Dudley, al, 1 Mar. 2023

Since last week, California has faced back-to-back storms that brought an unusual amount of snowfall to a number of regions, causing power outages and road closures, according to CNN. —Maria Pasquini, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2023

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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