Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Movement back and forth; reciprocating movement.
  • noun Debate over an issue; vacillation.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Forward and backward; alternate: as, to-and-fro motion.
  • noun A movement or motion forward and backward in alternation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb Alternative spelling of to and fro.
  • verb Alternative spelling of to and fro.
  • adverb Alternative spelling of to and fro.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Germain's novel opens with the arresting image of Sabine, a middle-class mother concealing a rug impulsively stolen from the Christmas sales: "Her silhouette large and bell-like, her legs like two clappers which despite their brisk to-and-fro produce no sound".

    Hidden Lives by Sylvie Germain, translated by Mike Mitchell – review Alfred Hickling 2010

  • Mr. Judd, merging and liquefying light and matter, pulls the world, as if malleable, to-and-fro like taffy.

    Rock, Paper, Sculpture Lance Esplund 2011

  • In any case, the growth rate to-and-fro is largely an artifact of the Congressional Budget Office, which has admitted there is a "gap in the toolkit" when predicting market-based savings.

    The Wyden-Ryan Breakthrough 2011

  • This isn't the language of disagreement, the classic to-and-fro between a restive base and politicians who make compromises.

    The Twister of 2010 Peggy Noonan 2010

  • Merkel's to-and-fro also recalls Bill Clinton's "triangulation:" Ignore left and right, and sail right through the middle.

    Behind Germany's Dithering Josef Joffe 2011

  • Romney tries to drop the to-and-fro, showing some bad body language here by turning away from Huntsman and lecturing Wolf Blitzer about the crusty old "listen to the leaders on the ground" line.

    GOP presidential debate in Washington – as it happened 2011

  • Here's a slightly cleaned up for clarity transcript of how the to-and-fro developed:Romney: Of course you Gingrich stand firm and stand for the truth, but you don't speak for Israel.

    GOP presidential debate in Iowa: as it happened 2011

  • Then there was a painful and agonising to-and-fro over the release of photographs of Bin Laden's corpse.

    Osama bin Laden: dead, but still a spectre for the world 2011

  • But Schroeder and the Social Democrats are now respected at home, having illustrated leadership that was able to rise above the to-and-fro of political opportunism.

    Matt Browne: Can America Emulate Germany's Economic Success? Matt Browne 2012

  • Mrs. Merkel's to-and-fro also recalls Bill Clinton's "triangulation": Ignore left and right, and sail right through the middle.

    Why Germany Is Leading From Behind Josef Joffe 2011

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