Standard Lemma guide

back-to-back

adj · adv · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌbæk.təˈbæk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Sequential or consecutive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Ruth and Gehrig hit back-to-back home runs.
  • They sat through two back-to-back movies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

With one's back facing that of somebody else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Emerging in exactly opposite directions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, not-comparable

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having a party wall at the rear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • We lived in a row of back-to-back houses.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Synonym of wired (“being a pair in seven card stud with one face up and one face down”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, slang

Topics: card-games, poker

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wired

Antonyms: none provided

6

adv

Meaning 6

Alternative form of back to back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A house with a party wall at the rear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

One of a pair of rig workers who are rostered on alternately.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: oil industry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

one after the other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • back-to-back home runs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: consecutive

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: peräkkäinen — sequential or consecutive
  • Finnish: perättäinen — sequential or consecutive
  • Italian: consecutivo — sequential or consecutive
  • Russian: оди́н за одним (odín za odnim) — sequential or consecutive
  • Russian: друг за другом (drug za drugom) — sequential or consecutive
  • Russian: поочерёдно (poočerjódno) — sequential or consecutive
  • Spanish: consecutivo — sequential or consecutive
  • Turkish: arka arkaya — sequential or consecutive
  • Ukrainian: послідо́вний (poslidóvnyj) — sequential or consecutive
  • Dutch: rug-aan-rug — with one's back facing somebody else's back
  • Finnish: seläkkäinen — with one's back facing somebody else's back
  • French: dos à dos — with one's back facing somebody else's back
  • Italian: dorso a dorso — with one's back facing somebody else's back
  • Navajo: ghąąjįʼ — with one's back facing somebody else's back
  • Ukrainian: спина́ в спи́ну (spyná v spýnu) — with one's back facing somebody else's back
  • Spanish: espaldera — (house) having a party wall at the rear
Real reading context

back-to-back in complete knowledge articles