# there and back

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/there-and-back
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

On or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.

## Examples

- It takes two hours to go there and back.
- I need to drive to the city and back to pick up my sister from the airport.
- The long journey there and back across the mountains proved more exhausting than the travelers had originally anticipated.

## Origin

Possibly a shortening of to there and back. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.