back and forth negotiations

USAGE SUMMARY

"back and forth negotiations" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a discussion or discourse which involves each side repeatedly taking turns to express their opinion. For example, "After weeks of back and forth negotiations, the two countries finally concluded a trade deal."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Expect more back and forth negotiations between the companies.

Forbes

A series of back and forth negotiations occurred while adding and removing key events through reading and rereading the data.

International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy

After weeks of back and forth negotiations, VICE News spoke at length to Abdulrahman via Skype.

Vice

The OPSEU and CEC have been in back and forth negotiations since July.

Vice

After some back and forth negotiations, and a lot of hesitation on my part as it was a costly investment, the manager send me an advanced copy of Stikwitu, to push me over the edge.

Huffington Post

Kavanaugh also denied those allegations, and both he and Blasey are expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday after fierce back and forth negotiations with lawmakers.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

He described the back-and-forth negotiations with the unidentified player, who was mentioned briefly in his footnoted report.

The New York Times - Sports

He pointed to the last-minute, back-and-forth negotiations in another competition review involving Microsoft's Web browser.

The New York Times - Tech

Lost in the back-and-forth negotiations seems to be the increasingly tenuous state of Best Buy's financial and operational health.

The New York Times

All the while, back-and-forth negotiations led to a series of mixed signals from the union and school board about how talks were progressing.

The New York Times

His statement was the latest pivot in back-and-forth negotiations over a transfer of power, even as Mr. Saleh tries to frame the terms under which he would leave.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When precision is needed, specify what's being negotiated (e.g., "back and forth negotiations on the contract terms").

Common error

Don't use "back and forth negotiations" when a simpler term like "negotiations" suffices. The "back and forth" aspect should only be emphasized when the iterative nature is crucial to the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "back and forth negotiations" functions as a noun phrase, describing a process of iterative discussions aimed at reaching an agreement. It emphasizes the dynamic and reciprocal nature of the negotiating process. As noted by Ludwig, the phrase is considered grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "back and forth negotiations" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to describe a process of iterative discussions aimed at reaching an agreement. According to Ludwig, the phrase is usable in written English. Its usage spans across various contexts, including news, business, and science, with a neutral register. When using the phrase, it's important to ensure the context warrants emphasizing the iterative nature of the negotiations, and to avoid redundancy. Related phrases include "protracted bargaining" and "reciprocal discussions".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

negotiating to and fro

Uses different wording to describe the back and forth nature.

give-and-take discussions

Highlights the process of compromise and concession.

protracted bargaining

Emphasizes the length and intensity of the negotiation process.

alternating proposals

Highlights the changing nature of offers during the negotiation.

reciprocal discussions

Highlights the mutual exchange of ideas during the discussions.

ongoing deliberations

Emphasizes the continuous nature of the negotiating process.

continuous haggling

Implies persistent and often intense bargaining.

iterative dialogues

Focuses on the repetitive nature and adjustments within the dialogues.

repeated parleys

Focuses on the formal meetings and discussions.

shuttle diplomacy

Suggests mediation and indirect negotiation between parties.

FAQs

How to use "back and forth negotiations" in a sentence?

You can use "back and forth negotiations" to describe a series of discussions where parties exchange proposals and counter-proposals. For example: "After weeks of "back and forth negotiations", they reached an agreement".

What can I say instead of "back and forth negotiations"?

You can use alternatives like "protracted bargaining", "reciprocal discussions", or "iterative dialogues" depending on the specific context you want to emphasize.

Is it redundant to say "back and forth negotiations"?

Sometimes. If the iterative nature of the negotiations is already clear from the context, "negotiations" alone might suffice. However, ""back and forth negotiations"" emphasizes the repeated exchange of proposals.

What's the difference between "back and forth negotiations" and "shuttle diplomacy"?

"Back and forth negotiations" describes a direct exchange between parties. "Shuttle diplomacy" involves a mediator conveying proposals between parties who aren't directly communicating.