1
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
2
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
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
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
-
New Zealand’s government reiterated its commitment to upholding strict firearms controls, while future diplomatic exchanges are expected to observe more rigorous legal vetting procedures.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The tax credits lower the cost of health-insurance premiums paid by individuals and families who buy health plans on Obamacare exchanges, and expand the pool of eligible recipients.—
Erin Doherty,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Previous discussions have drawn opposition to further commercializing the area, though, and a Sierra Club representative said that sentiment stands.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
He is seen as a younger, more moderate voice – having vowed to clean up politics, initiate discussions on constitutional reform and allow married couples to use separate surnames, something currently banned under law.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In an era when misinformation travels faster than facts and contentious debates make headlines daily, that function becomes not merely valuable but essential.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The drama ran on the CW network from 2007 to 2012 and—also not hyperbole—defined a generation while still inspiring spirited debates and yearly rewatches by both devoted fans and curious newcomers.—
María Mérida,
Glamour,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The drones that landed in Poland were not believed to be armed, but nonetheless, spurred Warsaw to trigger Article 4 emergency consultations with NATO members.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
On 10 September, the Council held consultations in response to the large-scale violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Health care talks plant seeds to resolve shutdown Federal subsidies for people to participate in the Affordable Care Act, which is nicknamed Obamacare, are expiring at the end of the year.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
President Petr Pavel, who will appoint the next prime minister, was expected to start talks with party leaders on Sunday.—
Reuters 3 hr ago,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Grading student work with AI About 7% of the conversations Anthropic analyzed were about grading student work.—
Lee V. Gaines,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
-
At first, Armstrong recalled, the conversations with Briere were brief as his new boss preferred to get down to business right away.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These visits, often funded by health plans and paired with remote nurse practitioner consults, reconnect patients with care on their own schedules, reducing barriers and improving outcomes.—
Bill Frist,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
During that window, the CW consults with ESPN and Raycom in selecting games.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Back-and-forths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back-and-forths. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share