to and fro

[too-uhn-froh] / ˈtu ənˈfroʊ /

ADJECTIVE

back and forth

Synonyms

WEAK

backward and forward backwards and forwards forward and back from side to side here and there in and out off and on seesaw up and down zigzag

NOUN

hesitation

Synonyms

WEAK

averseness dawdling delay delaying demurral doubt dubiety equivocation faltering fluctuation fumbling hemming and hawing hesitancy indecision indecisiveness indisposition irresoluteness irresolution misgiving mistrust oscillation pause procrastination qualm reluctance scruple shilly-shally skepticism stammering stumbling stuttering tentativeness timidity timidness unwillingness vacillation wavering

to-and-fro

NOUN

hesitation

Synonyms

WEAK

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The autumn operation exposed flaws too: The land couldn’t accommodate all the vehicles, said Lemmermann, and it consisted of noncontiguous plots, forcing Rheinmetall to bus soldiers to and fro.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

Shelters have been opened for those displaced from their homes, and helicopters were flying to and fro to bring essentials to people cut off from the rest of the world.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

"There's still a long way to go and I'm sure it'll be to and fro between now and the very last game," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2024

Racers — there were many on that clear April evening — tack constantly, moving to and fro to maximize speed, almost like slalom skiing down the mountain.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2023

We advance at a run, fling ourselves down, and our panting breath moves the stalks of the grasses and the flowers of the heather to and fro.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

to and fro

Example Sentences

Related Words