back-to-back
1 of 2adjective or adverb
1
: facing in opposite directions and often touching
2
: coming one after the other : consecutive
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
Geoffrey Moorhouse2
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
Jack McCallumSynonyms
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 WebHouston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024
When the Sox beat the Washington Nationals on May 15 for their first back-to-back series wins since early August 2023, outfielder Tommy Pham cautioned fans not to get too giddy.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2024
Thompson was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has played in one game for the NFL's back-to-back champs.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024
After back-to-back years at the top of the list, Microsoft was knocked out of the No. 1 spot by Nvidia—whose shares are up a staggering 198% over the past 12 months.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for back-to-back 
Adjective or adverb
The UConn coach who just led his team to college basketball’s first back-to-back championship in 17 years?
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024
When the Sox beat the Washington Nationals on May 15 for their first back-to-back series wins since early August 2023, outfielder Tommy Pham cautioned fans not to get too giddy.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2024
Thompson was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has played in one game for the NFL's back-to-back champs.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024
After back-to-back years at the top of the list, Microsoft was knocked out of the No. 1 spot by Nvidia—whose shares are up a staggering 198% over the past 12 months.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for back-to-back
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back-to-back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 10 Jun. 2024.
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