1
as in exchange
a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another
after the usual back-and-forth of official gifts, the two leaders entered into a serious discussion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in discussion
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
the others listened with relish to the back-and-forth between the two noted professors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of back-and-forth
Eventually, face masks and lightweight swords gave us a taste of the back-and-forth ‘combat’ that define the sport.
—
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Orlando City survived a second-half collapse and a wild back-and-forth affair to secure a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night at Inter&Co Stadium.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
The Under-the-radar Food Town Worth Knowing El Paso, Texas, surprised Lakshmi, who spent time tracing the city’s deep, daily connection with Juárez, Mexico—a back-and-forth that shapes the food supply, the culture, and the rhythms of daily life on both sides of the border.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2026
There wasn’t a lot of back-and-forth arguing.
—Eric Adler
may 14, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for back-and-forth
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Orlando City survived a second-half collapse and a wild back-and-forth affair to secure a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night at Inter&Co Stadium.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
The Under-the-radar Food Town Worth Knowing El Paso, Texas, surprised Lakshmi, who spent time tracing the city’s deep, daily connection with Juárez, Mexico—a back-and-forth that shapes the food supply, the culture, and the rhythms of daily life on both sides of the border.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2026
There wasn’t a lot of back-and-forth arguing.
—Eric Adler
may 14, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for back-and-forth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back-and-forth
Noun
-
Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the much younger (and much smaller) Darius Garland.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
The San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals after a heated exchange in the paint with Minnesota’s Naz Reid.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Araghchi said Russia’s proposal was not currently under active discussion, but could be revisited.—
Sheikh Saaliq,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
After four seasons, Lawrence left Spin City when Fox did and went on to create Scrubs at NBC, a series that often gets lost in discussions of how TV comedy evolved in the aughts.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
As tensions rise between the United States and China over trade, technology, Taiwan and military influence, the relationship between the world’s two largest economies is increasingly shaping global politics and national security debates.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
-
While the first debate, hosted by Nexstar on April 22, was relatively calm, the subsequent three debates were more chaotic, often serving as an opportunity for candidates to lob accusations at one another.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Many also offer free or low-cost initial consultations, but acting quickly matters.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
In addition to her daily schedule of operations and consultations, there are interns to train and a clinic renovation to oversee.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The next steps are psychological consults, a physical exam, uterine evaluation and blood work.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
Tirias Research tracks and consults for companies throughout the electronics ecosystem from semiconductors to systems and sensors to the cloud.—
Francis Sideco,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
One bill that repeatedly came up in conversation was Senate Bill 2, a priority bill for Senate Democrats that would have changed the state’s sales-and-use tax, allowing some energy use by businesses to be exempt from the tax.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Mercury enters Gemini and moves through your 3rd House of Communication, waking up conversations, messages, and the small decisions that shape your day.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Others are purely skeptical and believe a dialogue could backfire.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
-
There’s this whole deeper meaning [to the dialogue].—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The most recent back-and-forth over talks comes after a week of sporadic clashes in the Persian Gulf, amid a month-long ceasefire.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Markets have soared and oil prices have dropped over the last week, however, amid anticipation that a deal could be close after weeks of talks and occasional setbacks.—
Peter Nicholas,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back-and-forth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back-and-forth. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
