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
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Adjective or adverb
Hardly the wisest strategy at a time when the game, following the introduction of the pitch clock, is coming off back-to-back increases in attendance for the first time since 2011-12. Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025 Edwards connected with Iowa football wide receiver recruit Terrence Smith on back-to-back lob passes in the final 1:54, leading to a pair of game-clinching dunks in West Aurora’s 49-40 win. Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025 After missing the playoffs for back-to-back years for the first time in Crosby's career, they are headed for a three-peat while in second-to-last place of the Metropolitan Division. Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025 The New York Jets got to back-to-back AFC title games but have not been to the postseason since 2010. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 20 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near back-to-back

Cite this Entry

“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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