How to Use back-and-forth in a Sentence

back-and-forth

1 of 2 noun
Definition of back-and-forthnext
Synonyms for back-and-forthnext
  • Step 3: Spray the Fence Spray each section of the vinyl fence with a slow back-and-forth motion, starting at the top of each fence section and working your way down.
    — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
  • Books The back-and-forth over ‘The Blind Side’ misses the big picture.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
  • The game was a true back-and-forth affair with 15 lead changes and nine ties.
    — Lila Bromberg, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2023
  • For most of the night, the two teams traded blows in a back-and-forth contest.
    — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024
  • So after all this back-and-forth, the Supreme Court weighed in on April 21.
    — Josh Fischman, Scientific American, 10 May 2023
  • This should be done in a short, quick back-and-forth motion.
    — Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 10 June 2023
  • Expect to see more back-and-forth moves between the US and Nvidia in the months ahead.
    — Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023
  • And many of you are gracious enough to engage with me in a back-and-forth.
    — Vulture, 2 Nov. 2023
  • And those tense early minutes set the tone for a back-and-forth game.
    — Kansas City Star, 9 Feb. 2024
  • That had a lot to do with me and my back-and-forth with sobriety.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2023
  • The Clippers and Suns keep going back-and-forth in the fourth quarter.
    — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2023
  • After a back-and-forth first half hour, the Timbers broke through.
    — oregonlive, 10 Sep. 2023
  • And this is the latest in the back-and-forth between the Colts owner and the Commanders over the course of the last year.
    — The Indianapolis Star, 8 May 2023
  • That’s the back-and-forth of this evolving and quite sobering matter.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
  • The back-and-forth continues until about the 58-minute mark.
    — Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
  • Luckily, the back-and-forth banter was all in fun and for a good cause.
    — Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 25 May 2023
  • After a back-and-forth first quarter, Duke used a four-goal run to build a 7-4 lead.
    — USA TODAY, 27 May 2023
  • Trump telephoned his adversary, and the two had a fiery back-and-forth.
    — David Freedlander, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
  • These processes can take a long time, said Messinger, with lots of back-and-forth.
    — Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
  • Neither side led by more than two goals in a back-and-forth battle.
    — Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2023
  • The back-and-forth comes at a critical moment for Mejia.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
  • Then, the back-and-forth between her and Mitchell continued on.
    — Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2024
  • Forbes chronicled their back-and-forth for the top spot more than a dozen times just last month alone.
    — Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
  • The move has led to a tense back-and-forth with the show’s venue, which taunted the Virginia native online.
    — Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
  • The team says the director’s hands-on role in the VFX helped with planning, reduced the back-and-forth and streamlined the work.
    — Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024
  • Just like in Game 1, both teams engaged in back-and-forth play, but neither scored.
    — Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
  • He also has been locked in a bizarre legal back-and-forth with Disney for the past year.
    — Tori Otten, The New Republic, 28 Sep. 2023
  • As the final whistle blew, the passion of the back-and-forth contest led to a postgame scuffle.
    — Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024
  • For the second straight year, the Warriors gave up a late-game touchdown to Milford in a back-and-forth game.
    — James Weber, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2023
  • The back-and-forth price action the last three weeks has constructed the pattern’s would-be right shoulder.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024
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back and forth

2 of 2 adverb
  • The chair rocked back and forth.
  • The children were shuttled back and forth between school and home.
  • Praise music floats in the air and the crowd rocks back and forth.
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2022
  • Constitutional debate goes back and forth as the control of the court shifts.
    — Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 26 Sep. 2022
  • Her feet dangle off the exam table, anxiously swinging back and forth.
    — Anna-Maja Rappard, CNN, 26 Sep. 2022
  • He was suddenly filled with a desire to keep driving back and forth over that bridge, to stay there, high above, forever.
    — Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
  • The only thing worse than a liquid lipstick that cracks throughout the day is one that forces you to go back and forth when applying.
    — Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 28 Sep. 2022
  • Staff had resorted to sleeping in the hospital with their families rather than risk the back and forth on the roads.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
  • After some perfunctory back and forth, Probst agreed to give the tribe 18 eggs for their chickens back.
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
  • For days, shifting winds swept the chemical haze back and forth in multiple cities, including parts of Atlanta.
    — Holly Yan, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
  • Prenup or not, divorce proceedings are typically faster for billionaires because there’s not as much back and forth about money.
    — Chloe Berger, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2022
  • The current fighting isn’t just the usual back and forth that has characterized this largely positional war.
    — David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
  • The full stadium rose to its feet and swaying camera lights back and forth as Ella Mai’s belted the familiar tune and beckoned them to join in.
    — Rivea Ruff, Essence, 21 Sep. 2022
  • Anyway, did Florence’s own buzz cut require any back and forth with Thunderbolts since that was supposed to go right after yours until the strike had its way?
    — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024
  • What resulted from the back and forth was a tentative agreement that will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.
    — Josh Boak and Zeke Miller, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022
  • Things were yo-yoing back and forth right up to the 11th hour.
    — Jp Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024
  • The two had been going back and forth in the race all year.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 30 July 2024
  • Pull it tight and move it back and forth within the guide.
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Dec. 2023
  • Plants sway in the current and fish dart back and forth.
    — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 20 June 2024
  • There was a lot of back and forth about what line would be drawn.
    — Claire B. Wofford, The Conversation, 25 Apr. 2024
  • Shahrzad goes back and forth as to whether the protests will succeed.
    — Omid Khazani and Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2022
  • Rock your rolling pin back and forth over the parchment to flatten the dough.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 8 Dec. 2023
  • As the actors volleyed back and forth, so did the tension.
    — Steven Vargasstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2023
  • From this point, the show moves back and forth in time leading up to Paris.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 July 2024
  • Despite the back and forth, Belushi filed for divorce in 2021.
    — Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023
  • Roll the roller from the jaw to the cheekbone and repeat, avoiding moving the roller back and forth.
    — Lauren Manaker, Health, 27 Mar. 2023
  • And this back and forth doesn't serve people like them at all.
    — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Protect your hands with work gloves or use grilling tongs to scrape the foil back and forth across the grates.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 July 2023
  • What is the back and forth before the explosion (if any)?
    — Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
  • It’s been a really good camp in regards to the back and forth.
    — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 14 Aug. 2023

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

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