back and forth
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back and forth
- /ˈbæ.kənˌfɔːθ/
- /ˈbæ.kəndˌfɔːθ/
- /ˈbæ.kənˌfɔːɹθ/
- /ˈbæ.kəndˌfɔːɹθ/
adverb back-and-forth
-
From one place to another and back again.
One frigid November evening, the mood was buoyant as two dozen mostly older Chinatown residents poured into the center. One by one, they tossed their parkas on chairs and took turns at the karaoke machine. Soon, the room was alive with people dancing and singing under a haze of blue strobe lights. A
Similar: backwards and forwards
- Flip-flopping between multiple options, courses of action, etc.
adjective back-and-forth
- Going from one place or position to another and back again. The back and forth movement of the tide causes erosion of the coastline.
verb back and forths · back and forthing · back and forthed · back-and-forth
- To go repeatedly in one direction, then the opposite, or to switch one's mind between two options repeatedly.
noun back and forths · back-and-forth
- The movement (of someone or something) forward followed by a return to the same position. May refer to a concept such as an emotional state or a relationship as well as a physical thing. Roll the ball to your child, who then rolls it back to you. After a few back-and-forths, roll the ball to a nearby corner of the room or other hiding place.
-
Negotiations or discussions (not necessarily fruitful) between two or more parties; a dialog.
There's some back and forth between Simpson and his CIA counterparts and, in essence, the CIA says that you must ship all of the quantities requested.
Similar: tug of war
Translations
Every language
adv from one place to another and back again
| Español | para atrás y para adelante, de un lado a/para otro, de una parte a/para otra |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 왔다 갔다 watda gatda, 왔다리 갔다리 watdari gatdari |
| 日本語 | 行ったり来たり ittari-kitari |
| 中文 | 來回 /来回 láihuí |
| Português | para frente e para trás, para lá e para cá |
| Français | aller-retour, va-et-vient |
| Deutsch | hin und her |
| Italiano | avanti e indietro |
| Ελληνικά | μπρος πίσω bros píso |
| Română | de colo colo, de colo până colo, dintr-o parte în alta, de pe o parte pe alta, înainte şi înapoi, încoace şi încolo |
| Русский | туда́ и обра́тно tudá i obrátno, туда́-сюда́ tudá-sjudá, взад-вперёд vzad-vperjód |
| Tiếng Việt | tới lui |
| العربية | ذَهَابًا وَإِيَابًا ḏahāban wa-ʔiyāban |
| עברית | הלוך חזור |
adj going from one place to another and back again
| Italiano | avanti e indietro |
|---|
noun movement (of someone or something) forward followed by a return to the same position
| 日本語 | 行ったり来たり ittari-kitari |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 往返 wǎng-fǎn, 來回 /来回 láihuí |
| Français | va-et-vient, allées et venues |
| Deutsch | Hin und Her |
| Italiano | andirivieni, viavai |
| Ελληνικά | πηγαινέλα pigainéla |
Talk about this word "back and forth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/back%20and%20forth. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. back and forth. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/back%20and%20forth "back and forth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/back%20and%20forth.Cite this
@misc{back_and_forth_2026,
title = {back and forth},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/back%20and%20forth},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
