to-and-fro

1 of 3

noun

: activity involving alternating movement in opposite directions
the busy to-and-fro of the holiday shoppers

to-and-fro

2 of 3

adjective

: forward and backward

to and fro

3 of 3

adverb

: from one place to another

Examples of to-and-fro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Russian officials did not confirm Ukraine's gains, which were impossible to verify and could be reversed in the to-and-fro of war. Jamey Keaten, ajc, 12 June 2023 After making the seats sway to-and-fro as expected, an attendant would stop the swing and spin the entire room around the riders (all the furniture was bolted to the floor). Popular Science, 20 July 2023 That to-and-fro, in my work, of coherence and incoherence interests me a lot. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 18 June 2023 Russian officials did not confirm Ukraine’s gains, which were impossible to verify and could be reversed in the to-and-fro of war. Jamey Keaten, BostonGlobe.com, 12 June 2023
Adverb
Scorpio October 23 – November 21 The storms of life might be tossing you to and fro right now! Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 The streets, the markets, every square foot of open space is crammed with people bustling to and fro. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2024 As the team charged down the field, a strange roar was building in the stands — the chorus of hundreds of cowbells swinging to and fro on the homecoming mums. Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2023 Progressed from loafing here and there with scant dollars in my pocket, to swaggering to and fro with a bankroll swelling my sock. Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 The languid, nostalgic song, evocative of 70s pop, had the audience swaying to and fro. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023 These multitudes of hairlike fungal threads—individually called hyphae, and collectively, mycelium—are the true body of fungi, shuttling nutrients to and fro across the forest floor. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2023 Walk in, and a stately lounge unfolds to the right, check-in on your left, all while porters busily whisk Rimowa suitcases and designer garment bags to and fro. Vogue, 28 Sep. 2023 But fetuses, by the third trimester, are in REM for around twenty hours a day—researchers using ultrasound can see their eyes flitting to and fro—and their whole bodies seem to twitch. Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'to-and-fro.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1553, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1749, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of to-and-fro was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near to-and-fro

to and fro

to-and-fro

toaner

Cite this Entry

“To-and-fro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to-and-fro. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

to-and-fro

adjective
ˌtü-ən-ˈfrō
: forward and backward
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