BACK-AND-FORTHS Synonyms: 62 Similar Words

back-and-forths

noun

plural of back-and-forth

as in exchanges

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

as in discussions

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-forths LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have all had public back-and-forths with Smith over the years. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026 With each witness, Guillard — in her role as her own attorney — challenged their testimony in sometimes testy back-and-forths that had to be refereed by the judge and court staff. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026 Kelce and Nicole, 34, broke up multiple times throughout their five years together, and made several public comments and back-and-forths about each other on social media and in interviews over the years. — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026 Given the awkward back-and-forths seen thus far and, even more so, Robinson’s history playing poor communicators, the description is hard to believe. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025 The rapper and boxer have had social media back-and-forths with Remy on several occasions due to the situation. — Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 25 Sep. 2025 But unlike some of the classic back-and-forths of the past Probst would have during challenges with folks like Penner and Parvati Shallow, Survivor 49 will also air interactions that take place on both sides of the contests. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 11 Sep. 2025 Republicans and Democrats engaged in many back-and-forths during the hearing on Wednesday that began in the morning and is expected to last into the evening. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025 Our back-and-forths with a chatbot, in turn, exteriorize our private, internal dialogues, which some consider constitutive of thought itself. — Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for back-and-forths

Noun

In a series of email exchanges starting at the end of July with Levine Cava and Lourdes Gomez, director of the county’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, Rosenberg pointedly asked whether the county approach is the right one.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Despite the sometimes contentious exchanges, Attorney Dave Westland, representing the developer, said that his client is agreeable to all of the remedies proposed by the town.

— Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of exchanges

Noun

The rules come after years of delay and fractious debates over affordability, landscaping and fire risk.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
While Rahma has learned how to steer his subway debates towards viral moments, the editing process has required the team to hone a knack for finding the story within otherwise chaotic conversations.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of debates

Noun

New consultations, postoperative checks, and urgent add-ons compete for the same time slots.

— Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Diplomatic efforts today too often grant the Taliban a formal place at the table while limiting contact with Afghan women to informal consultations.

— Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of consultations

Noun

Sabio said the proposals were developed through conversations with residents rather than solely by his campaign.

— Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
That included conversations with people within the Seahawks organization who know him, most notably backup quarterback Jalen Milroe, who played with Arnold at Alabama.

— Tobias Bass, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of conversations

Noun

Path2Papers, a project at Cornell Law School, analyzed 1,600 consults and estimated that around 60% of DACA recipients would be subject to the 10-year ban.

— Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Microagi, which is coming off a $55 million seed funding round, collects real-world training footage in more than a dozen countries and consults with companies on deploying robots in their factories.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of consults

Browse Nearby Words

back-and-forth

back-and-forths

back away

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“Back-and-forths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back-and-forths. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of back-and-forths

noun

Example Sentences

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