to-and-fro

noun

\ ˌtü-ən-ˈfrō

How to pronounce to-and-fro (audio)

\

Definition of to-and-fro

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

to-and-fro

adjective

Definition of to-and-fro (Entry 2 of 3)

: forward and backward

to and fro

adverb

Definition of to and fro (Entry 3 of 3)

: from one place to another

Examples of to-and-fro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

By Joseph Epstein Lyons, 187 pages, $24.95 Within more or less discrete chapters, Mr. Epstein proceeds seamlessly to and fro, demonstrating—through example and instruction—who and what is charming and, equally important, who and what isn’t. — Thomas Vinciguerra, WSJ, "‘Charm’ Review: The Most Pleasing Personality," 11 Oct. 2018 The broad treads hugged the sand, pivoting the robot to and fro at Hyneman’s whim. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Tank That's Tougher Than Wildfire," 13 Nov. 2018 The largest sack is perfect for hauling laundry to and fro; the smaller sizes can hold a lunchtime picnic or a change of clothes for a dip in a hot spring. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The ultimate van life shopping guide," 14 Nov. 2018 To celebrate her collaboration with jewelry line John Hardy, Chelsea’s Cedar Lake was transformed into a Balinese market complete with spice stands, straw fans, and tuk-tuk rickshaws transporting guests to and fro. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Adwoa Aboah and John Hardy Bring Bali to New York to Celebrate Their New Collaboration," 10 Oct. 2018 Saturday Source: NOAA Clara Phillips, who lives in the Brices Creek area of New Bern, sat on her screened-in back porch on Friday, watching as the wind pushed trees to and fro. — Valerie Bauerlein, WSJ, "Florence Drenches North Carolina, Leaving Five Dead and Causing Widespread Outages," 14 Sep. 2018 In this fantastical ode to the United States Postal Service, Berger posits that before email, actual snails were responsible for transporting physical letters to and fro. — Julia Turner, New York Times, "A New Technology Age: When the Technology Is Books, and the Age Is 3 to 7," 18 May 2018 Staffers in crisp white uniforms and white pointed chef’s caps dart to and fro. — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit, "In a Land of Tortilla Factories, Enrique Olvera’s New Tortilleria Is Doing It Old School," 20 June 2018 Still passing to and fro, The young heart hot and restless, And the old subdued and slow! — BostonGlobe.com, "Read the poem that inspired the Longfellow Bridge’s name," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'to-and-fro.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about to-and-fro

Dictionary Entries near to-and-fro

to all intents and purposes

Statistics for to-and-fro

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for to-and-fro

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

See more words from the same century

Comments on to-and-fro

What made you want to look up to-and-fro? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

coin of the realm

something valued as if it were money

Test Your Vocabulary

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which came first?

sarcastic snarky

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ