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
James Boyd, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
Joe Carollo served two back-to-back terms and is now termed out.
—Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
The Warriors coming off back-to-back losses in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, setbacks that had brought the momentum of a 4-1 start to a grinding halt.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025
The Dodgers became the first team to win back-to-back Fall Classics since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000 after completing a Game 7 comeback against the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Since earning back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods in 2022 and 2023, Gardner gave up 16.4 yards per target in 2024 and is allowing 17.3 yards per target in 2025.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
Joe Carollo served two back-to-back terms and is now termed out.
—Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
The Warriors coming off back-to-back losses in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, setbacks that had brought the momentum of a 4-1 start to a grinding halt.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025
The Dodgers became the first team to win back-to-back Fall Classics since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000 after completing a Game 7 comeback against the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
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 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share