come back and back

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "come back and back" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express a repeated action of returning, but it lacks clarity and proper structure. Example: "After leaving the party, I decided to come back and back to see if anyone else had arrived."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"People come back and back.

The New Yorker

And they come back and back and back, because they know they're getting the straight talk.

Cornell University

"The mayor wants to crack into that fund so he can come back and back for more," she said.

The New York Times

"We have a number of patients who come back and back," said Dr. Bravo, the Manhattan audiologist.

The New York Times

"Some of our regulars -- employees who come back and back and back on business -- prefer the Royal Palms because it's got that smaller elegance that makes them feel more at home," said David Birk, senior vice president and general counsel for Avnet.

The New York Times

"The agenda now is much more about a kind of fluidity, it's not just about a big institution that makes decisions behind closed doors about what the programme's going to be, and then putting that work in front of an audience and counting on that audience to come back and back".

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

"And I came back and back, with my bicycle.

The New York Times

And yet the Republican right keeps coming back, and back, and back.

The New York Times - Books

This promise "comes back and back, in force, whenever there's an economic downturn", Gregg told me.

The Guardian - Tech

What's bothersome about Franz Wright is what keeps his poetry alive, and makes him worth coming back and back to.

The New York Times - Books

Johnson said it was not the job of scientific advisers to "just keep coming back and back and back" to overturn ministerial decisions.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clarity, it's better to use more common alternatives like "return repeatedly" or "keep returning" instead of "come back and back".

Common error

Avoid unnecessary repetition. While "come back and back" attempts to emphasize recurrence, it can sound awkward. Instead, choose a concise alternative such as "return frequently".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "come back and back" functions as a verbal phrase attempting to emphasize the repetition of returning. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it is not grammatically sound and lacks clarity.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Academia

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "come back and back" is used to emphasize repeated returns, it's considered grammatically questionable and lacks clarity in formal English. Ludwig AI marks it as non ideal, recommending clearer alternatives like "return repeatedly" or "keep returning". Although it appears in several news sources, its usage is infrequent and may sound awkward to native speakers. Therefore, it's best to opt for more conventional expressions for improved clarity and grammatical correctness. Be sure to always consider the audience, and context of your writing while picking vocabulary.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

frequently come back

Directly indicates the frequency of returning.

keep returning

Implies a continuous action of returning.

come back time and again

Adds emphasis to the repeated returns.

return over and over

Directly states the act of returning multiple times.

return repeatedly

Emphasizes the act of returning multiple times.

reappear frequently

Highlights the frequency of reappearance.

recur often

Focuses on the recurring nature of an event or action.

revisit constantly

Suggests a constant revisiting of a place or topic.

persistently return

Highlights the persistence in returning.

show up repeatedly

Emphasizes the repeated appearance of someone or something.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "come back and back" for better clarity?

To improve clarity, replace "come back and back" with phrases like "return repeatedly", "frequently come back", or "keep returning".

Is "come back and back" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "come back and back" is not considered standard English. Opt for more conventional expressions like "return again and again" for better grammar.

When is it appropriate to use "come back and back"?

Although found in some publications, it's safer to avoid "come back and back" in formal writing. Use alternatives like "return frequently" in professional contexts.

What's a more emphatic way to say "come back and back"?

For emphasis, try "return time and again" or "keep coming back", which are both clearer and more widely accepted.