back-to-back
1 of 2adjective or adverb
1
: facing in opposite directions and often touching
2
: coming one after the other : consecutive
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
Geoffrey Moorhouse2
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
Jack McCallumExamples 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
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
While back-to-back games against the same team is not unusual during the NBA regular season, this marks the first time in franchise history that the Heat has taken on the same opponent in three straight regular-season games.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026
The team won back-to-back 6A Division II state titles in 2022 and 2023 and is 83-16 over the last seven seasons with Mathis as the head coach.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 2 Feb. 2026
Morris was fired by Atlanta last month after back-to-back 8-9 seasons as head coach for the Falcons.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back-to-back
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective or adverb
The gap to those above is worryingly widening following back-to-back league defeats by Aston Villa and Liverpool.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
While back-to-back games against the same team is not unusual during the NBA regular season, this marks the first time in franchise history that the Heat has taken on the same opponent in three straight regular-season games.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026
The team won back-to-back 6A Division II state titles in 2022 and 2023 and is 83-16 over the last seven seasons with Mathis as the head coach.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 2 Feb. 2026
Morris was fired by Atlanta last month after back-to-back 8-9 seasons as head coach for the Falcons.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back-to-back
Cite this Entry
“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
