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

• together
• successively
• consecutively
• running
• repeatedly

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

And with a runner on second in the fifth, Bellinger struck out on three pitches, swinging through each, including back-to-back 98-mph fastballs to end the inning. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026

Could one of the tiniest nations in this World Cup hold their own against two heavyweights back-to-back? —Miami Herald, 21 June 2026

With back-to-back losses to Minnesota and Las Vegas, the Valkyries are 0-4 against the top two teams in the league. —Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 21 June 2026

Roki Sasaki dominated early, facing one over the minimum through five innings, before giving up back-to-back homers to Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 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