work back and forth

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "work back and forth" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to indicate back-and-forth communication or movement, especially in the context of doing something. For example, you could say: "We worked back and forth to come up with ideas for the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Deutch, by contrast, carried his own work back and forth between home and office.

The New York Times - Magazine

Tiny flash drives allow students to pass work back and forth when wireless can't be found and network jacks are not around.

The New York Times

You can also transfer your work back and forth to other GR-HD1's or to a high-definition VCR, infinitely, with zero quality loss -- and no copy-protection hassles.

The New York Times - Tech

But it also lets users move work back and forth between the two at the click of a button, as well as automatically tether Macs to iPhones to use mobile internet on the move.

The Guardian - Tech

Through a commitment to radically adapting the field condition of the city, we'll work back and forth, telescopically, between material properties and cultural energies that could reorder the street and those that can reshape the neighborhood, with potentially profound implications for the city as a whole.

Harvard University

I wrote the first draft in a few months, and it wasn't a very good draft, but it was something for my agent and me to work back and forth for almost an entire year, and that included a lot of de-polemicizing.

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

They keep working, back and forth, to add the dates and events and emotions that make up Bebrezhabiher's life to a document that could determine whether he can one day live like his friend.

Princeton University

Las Hermanas Iglesias, live on different coasts and worked back and forth on the sculpture "Chasing Their Ponytails" (2016-18), which looks like a quirky contraption for decontextualizing everyday items.

The New York Times - Arts

It gets hard when you are in the street with six lanes, and the traffic is coming, and the truck is pulling out with all these people working back and forth.

The New York Times

Instead, we might think of this process of working back and forth among the key shared ideas in the public, democratic culture and the articulated features of the political conception of justice as a political reflective equilibrium (Daniels 1996).

SEP

Working back and forth between the coded text excerpts and the concept dictionary, the researcher consolidated thematically comparable passages from the data into the resultant categories, grouping the excerpts to produce tables of evidentiary text in a Data Book that supports the thematic categorizations (thematic analysis).

Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "work back and forth" to describe iterative processes involving multiple steps or people. For instance, in software development, teams often "work back and forth" between coding and testing phases.

Common error

While acceptable, "work back and forth" can sound informal in certain contexts. For formal reports, consider more precise alternatives like "iterate", "reciprocate", or "alternate" depending on the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "work back and forth" functions as a compound verb describing a process that involves reciprocal action or communication. It signifies a continuous interaction between two or more entities, often involving iterations and adjustments. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "work back and forth" is a versatile expression used to describe iterative and reciprocal processes. Ludwig confirms that is grammatically sound. It commonly appears in news, academic, and scientific contexts, indicating its broad applicability. While generally acceptable, consider substituting it with more formal alternatives like "iterate" or "reciprocate" in professional settings to enhance precision. As highlighted by the Ludwig examples, this phrase effectively communicates the dynamic nature of collaboration and repeated action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

move to and fro

Replaces "work" with the action of moving, focusing on the physical aspect of going in both directions.

reciprocate

This is a shorter, single-word way of saying "work back and forth", emphasizing the mutual exchange or action.

alternate

Focuses on the switching between two things, similar to working in both directions.

interact

Emphasizes the communication and action between two or more entities.

go to and fro

A more archaic, but still valid way to describe moving between two points.

collaborate

Emphasizes the joint effort and cooperation involved in a back-and-forth process, especially in work contexts.

shuttle

Suggests a frequent and regular movement between two places.

exchange ideas

Focuses on the communicative aspect of working back and forth, specifically the sharing of thoughts.

iterate

Highlights the repeated cycles of refinement and improvement.

play off each other

Suggests a dynamic interaction where each action influences the next.

FAQs

How can I use "work back and forth" in a sentence?

You can use "work back and forth" to describe a process involving repeated actions or communication between parties. For example, "The design team and the engineers "worked together", going back and forth on the specifications until they reached a consensus."

What are some alternatives to "work back and forth"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "reciprocate", "alternate", or "iterate" to express a similar meaning.

Is "work back and forth" suitable for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "work back and forth" might be considered informal in some contexts. For formal writing, consider more precise alternatives that convey the specific nature of the interaction or process, such as "exchange ideas".

What does it mean to "work back and forth" in a collaborative setting?

In a collaborative setting, to "work back and forth" implies a dynamic exchange of ideas, feedback, or effort between individuals or teams to achieve a common goal. This can involve cycles of revision, refinement, and mutual influence.