"back-to-school" vs "back to school"

Question

"back-to-school" vs "back to school"

Both "back to school" and "back-to-school" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Back to school" is used to refer to the period when students return to school after a break, while "back-to-school" is used as an adjective to describe products or events related to the start of the school year.

Last Updated: March 23, 2024

Use "back-to-school" as an adjective to describe products or events that are related to the beginning of the school year, such as back-to-school sales or back-to-school shopping.

Examples:

I went to the back-to-school sale at the mall.
The store is having a back-to-school event.

Alternatives:

school-related
start of the school year
beginning of the school year
school kickoff
school opening

Use "back to school" to talk about the time when students go back to school after a break, such as summer vacation.

Examples:

I bought new clothes for my kids for back to school.
The stores are full of back to school supplies.

Alternatives:

returning to school
going back to school
school is starting again
school is back in session
the school year is beginning

Answer 1

back-to-school

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English as an adjective to describe products or events related to the start of the school year.

Answer 2

back to school

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to the period when students return to school after a break.

"back-to-school" vs "back to school"

back-to-school

back to school

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