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

Utilizing their seventh different starting lineup through the team’s first 11 games of the season, the Magic only had 10 players available against the Jazz in the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday night. — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2026

The Knicks got big efforts from their bench, with no starter playing more than 28 minutes on the front end of back-to-back games. — CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Practitioners can work up to one or two hours daily for the full benefits, though even one-minute breaks between tasks help keep energy flowing, which makes qigong an easy fit between back-to-back meetings. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026

Lynn went 21-24 over four seasons, led the Eagles past the area round for the first time since 1971 in 2024, then posted back-to-back three-win seasons in 2025 and 2026. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 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