back-to-back

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

1
: facing in opposite directions and often touching
2
: coming one after the other : consecutive

back-to-back

2 of 2

noun

plural back-to-backs
1
British : a house that is connected in a row with other houses on each side and with a similar row of houses behind it
These were where the millworkers dwelt, the worst of them known as back-to-backs because that is how they were built, without intervening space.Geoffrey Moorhouse
2
sports : a sequence of two games scheduled to be played on consecutive days
Miami began to beat elite teams and was bloodlessly efficient in the second half of back-to-backs, winning 11 in a row over a three-month stretch, a sign of a team with toughness.Jack McCallum

Examples of back-to-back in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb the three movies in the series were filmed back-to-back so that the cast members wouldn't age visibly on screen the new governor was soon facing several back-to-back crises
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective or adverb
Michael Busch and Kyle Tucker opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back home runs; Busch’s was on Brayan Bello’s very first pitch. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 July 2025 With the win, Ferreira is 5-2 in the UFC with back-to-back submission wins. Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025 The Pirates threatened in the second after back-to-back one-out singles gave them runners on the corners. Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2025 His drive flew into the rough, resulting in a back-to-back bogey. Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for back-to-back

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back-to-back was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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