back and forth
Shuttle-like repeated movement
Back and forth describes repeated movement between two points or positions.
Physically, something swings or travels in alternating directions: The pendulum swung back and forth.
The phrase also describes exchanges between people—arguments, negotiations, or discussions that go back and forth until resolved: After weeks of back and forth, they finally agreed on terms.
As a noun, the back-and-forth refers to such an exchange itself.
Repeated back-and-forth movement
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
- swayRock back and forth
- rockingOscillating on curved base
seesaw · shuttle · bobbing · undulation · fluctuation · alternation · rhythm · ebb and flow
Spoken exchange between parties
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
consultation · talks · communication · discourse · banter · interplay · give-and-take · parley
Formal argument on issues
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- quarrelAngry verbal dispute
- bickeringPetty verbal sparring
- squabbleTrivial noisy argument
altercation · disagreement · clash · spat · tiff · wrangle · feud · contention
oscillation
Repeated back-and-forth movement
rocking · seesaw · shuttle · bobbing · undulation · fluctuation · alternation · rhythm · ebb and flow · to and fro
dialogue
Spoken exchange between parties
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
deliberation · consultation · talks · communication · discourse · banter · interplay · give-and-take · parley · correspondence
debate
Formal argument on issues
squabble · altercation · disagreement · clash · spat · tiff · wrangle · feud · contention · discord
- motion idiomsin motion, on the move, on the go, move along, move on
- Inconsistencywishy-washy, flip-flop, fickle, unreliable, unpredictable
- oppositesopposite, opposites, antonym, antonyms, inverse
- chatterchat, chatter, chatting, chitchat, chit-chat
- cleaning motionswiping, rubbing, scrubbing, brushing, sweeping
- conversationschat, talk, discussion, discuss, chatter
back and forthone-way
Permitting single direction travel
unidirectional · straight ahead · linear · direct · straight
back and forthstationary
Not in motion
still · motionless · fixed · immobile · at rest
back, forward, backward, background, backup, backbone, comeback, backdrop, feedback