back-and-forth

1 of 2

noun

ˈbak-ən(d)-ˈfȯrth 

: discussion sense 1, give-and-take

also : exchange sense 1

back and forth

2 of 2

adverb

: backward and forward

also : between two places or persons

Synonyms of back-and-forth

Noun

• exchange

Examples of back-and-forth in a Sentence

Noun

after the usual back-and-forth of official gifts, the two leaders entered into a serious discussion

the others listened with relish to the back-and-forth between the two noted professors

Adverb

The chair rocked back and forth.

The children were shuttled back and forth between school and home.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On this night, Butker was especially locked in because of the back-and-forth nature of the game. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

That kind of back-and-forth to me was what was exciting about science. — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

Adverb

Modern artificial intelligence consumes massive amounts of electricity because hardware continuously shifts data back and forth between separate memory banks and processor units. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

The back and forth and speaking over each other never really works and nothing ever gets done. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1941, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1613, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for back-and-forth

• fourth
• henceforth
• thenceforth