back to back elections

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "back to back elections" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where two elections occur consecutively without a significant gap in between. Example: "The country faced back to back elections, which put immense pressure on the political parties to campaign effectively."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

It's swung three ways since 1997, including back to back election wins for health campaigner Richard Taylor.

BBC

Consider the Rick Perry paradox: in a G.O.P. field notably bereft of experience in elected office, he has won nine back-to-back elections and spent the last decade as governor of America's second-most-populous state.

The New York Times

Mr. Jackson, 47, was first elected in 1995 and has won back-to-back elections with ease, including a primary in March, when he soundly defeated former Representative Debbie Halvorson.

The New York Times

It was the first time since votes in the early 1900s that centre-right parties won back-to-back elections.

The Guardian

Frank Luntz, the communications strategist, gave the Republicans a slideshow describing how Republicans have just endured their worst back-to-back elections since 1930 and 1932.

The New York Times

And back-to-back elections — for Parliament in December and president in March — neither of which offers an alternative to the current government, will strain the state's coffers and voters' patience.

The New York Times

Or, more pragmatically, was he trying to rebalance rival factions inside the Kremlin's inner sanctum while appointing a faithful bureaucrat to manage the government as it enters back-to-back elections?

The New York Times

Support from disillusioned Pasok voters underpinned Syriza's sudden rise from left-wing outlier into a serious contender for power during Greece's two back-to-back elections in 2012.But that was before the intervention of George Papandreou, the prime minister who signed up to the international bail-out in 2010 and a former Pasok leader (and son of its founder).

The Economist

Yet Caroline Kennedy's decision to ask Gov. David A. Paterson to appoint her to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat suggests that she believes she is as well prepared as anyone to serve as the next senator from New York — and is ready to throw her famously publicity-averse self into the challenge of winning back-to-back elections in 2010 and 2012.

The New York Times

These two back-to-back election cycles represent the most emphatic examples of a point that macroeconomic forecasting models are absolutely agreed upon: it's recent economic performance that matters.

The New York Times

As the Democratic National Committee gathered for its summer meeting at Union Station in St . Louis anxiety marked a stark change for a party that had reveled in back-to-back election cycles that produced control of Congress and the White House.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "back to back elections", ensure that the context clearly indicates the elections are closely spaced in time. This avoids ambiguity and strengthens the impact of your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "back to back elections" if the elections are not relatively close in time. The phrase implies a sense of immediacy and close succession, so using it for elections separated by a significant period would be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "back to back elections" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as an adjective to describe the nature of the elections being held. As shown in Ludwig AI, it suggests elections happening one immediately after the other.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "back to back elections" is a grammatically correct and understandable term used to describe elections that happen consecutively. Ludwig AI confirms that its primarily for elections happening one immediately after the other. While currently marked as missing in frequency due to a lack of direct examples, this analysis provides usage guidelines, alternative phrases such as "successive elections" or "consecutive elections", and tips on avoiding common errors. It's appropriate for neutral registers, like news media, and understanding its implications is essential for clear communication about political events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

successive elections

Replaces "back to back" with "successive", emphasizing the sequential nature of the elections.

consecutive elections

Uses "consecutive" instead of "back to back", highlighting the uninterrupted sequence of elections.

sequential elections

Emphasizes the order in which the elections occur.

closely spaced elections

Focuses on the short time interval between elections.

immediate elections

Suggests that elections follow each other without delay.

one after another elections

More verbose, but clearly conveys the idea of elections happening in direct sequence.

recurring elections

Implies that elections happen again and again one after another.

repeated elections

Highlights that elections are happening again with a short delay.

following elections

Uses a simpler phrase to express the sequence of elections.

ensuing elections

Implies that the elections immediately follow each other.

FAQs

What does "back to back elections" mean?

The phrase "back to back elections" refers to two elections that are held very close together in time, one immediately following the other.

How can I use "back to back elections" in a sentence?

You might say, "The country faced "back to back elections", which created political instability" to describe a situation where two elections occurred consecutively.

What can I say instead of "back to back elections"?

You can use alternatives like "successive elections", "consecutive elections", or "closely spaced elections" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "back to back elections" formal or informal?

The phrase "back to back elections" is suitable for both neutral and informal contexts such as news reports or general discussions. However, in highly formal writing, using a synonym such as "successive elections" might be more appropriate.