back to back

adverb

1. (of two similar events) following one immediately after the other; in unbroken sequence; consecutively:

   After losing all day, he picked winners back to back in the last two races.

adjective

1. adjacent or contiguous but oppositely oriented; having the backs close together or adjoining:

   The seats in the day coach are back to back.

2. Stud Poker. (of a pair) consisting of the hole card and the first upcard:

   He had aces back to back.

back-to-back

adjective

1. facing in opposite directions, often with the backs touching
2. (of urban houses) built so that their backs are joined or separated only by a narrow alley
3. informal.
   consecutive
4. commerce
   1. denoting a credit arrangement in which a finance house acts as an intermediary to conceal the identity of the seller from the buyer
   2. denoting a loan from one company to another in a different country using a finance house to provide the loan but not the funding

noun

1. a house or terrace built in back-to-back style

Word History and Origins

Origin of back to back¹

First recorded in 1450–1500

Example Sentences

Three gunshots can be heard back to back.

From Los Angeles Times

“And I was happy to see him play back to back. It’s been a long journey for him, but he worked his tail off.”

From Los Angeles Times

What are the odds of these rare works showing up back to back?

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s our only focus right now, to go back to back,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times

“Winning a championship is really hard. Winning back to back is even harder,” he said this spring.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• later