How to Use up-and-down in a Sentence

up-and-down

1 of 2 adjective
  • The stars have had up-and-down seasons.
    — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Apple shares have had an up-and-down year so far.
    — Jaures Yip, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
  • All setting up for an up-and-down season.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
  • Corbett has had an up-and-down campaign.
    — Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 18 Nov. 2025
  • The up-and-down movement has been massive.
    — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Jackson had an up-and-down season.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
  • There will be up-and-down performances.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Pain, love, struggles, up-and-down life, the journey of life.
    — Fred Bronson, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Players move among four cones in a side-to-side, and up-and-down pattern.
    — Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
  • However, his up-and-down year ended on a sour note.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
  • How are investors playing tech in an up-and-down year for the market?
    — Meredith Mutter, CNBC, 23 June 2025
  • Elon Musk’s up-and-down year wrapped with one final stumble.
    — Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
  • March was an up-and-down month for the metro Atlanta restaurant scene.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Injuries have played a part in their up-and-down play, but so has their subpar play at times.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Brush first with up-and-down strokes, then go side to side to ensure even coverage.
    — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2023
  • This year has been more up-and-down for the 27-year-old Venezuelan.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
  • This occurs when the fan’s head moves in a side-to-side or up-and-down direction.
    — Nor'adila Hepburn, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024
  • Dern has had an up-and-down run with the UFC over the past four years.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Choose side-to-side or up-and-down doors to conserve the most kitchen countertop space.
    — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2023
  • That up-and-down series of events was illustrative of how the talks moved.
    — Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
  • Amid the up-and-down action, Green picked up a technical foul.
    — Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
  • That’s added up to an up-and-down offense and more free-wheeling than straight lace from Nix.
    — Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2024
  • What’s on your mind amid yet another up-and-down Colts campaign?
    — James Boyd, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
  • It's been an up-and-down season with the Nationals.
    — Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Kirby has always been a good pitcher at home, even in up-and-down seasons like this one.
    — Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Like much of this Jayhawks squad, Adams has had a very up-and-down season.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2025
  • An up-and-down freight picture has been the story in 2025.
    — Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
  • Through his first two seasons, Jones’ performance has been up-and-down.
    — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 22 July 2025
  • Holland’s career has been up-and-down since the highlight-reel win over Souza.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • Holland’s career has been up-and-down since the highlight-reel win over Souza.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

up and down

2 of 2 adverb
  • The view here extends miles out to sea and up and down the coast.
    — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 12 June 2020
  • This season, his first as the full-time starter, was up and down.
    — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2020
  • There were blue lights up and down the road as these shootings took place.
    — Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2022
  • Younger players up and down the bench will have to show up and play well.
    — Jeff McDonald, ExpressNews.com, 13 June 2020
  • Without the sense of up and down, the flow of blood in the body changes.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 3 May 2026
  • Time is still, for the most part, shifting back and forth and up and down.
    — David G. Allan, CNN, 6 Aug. 2020
  • Jump up and down, do a few jumping jacks, twist side to side, run in place.
    — Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Jan. 2022
  • Players up and down the roster stepped up.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
  • Tap the letters or the up and down carat on the display line.
    — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 4 June 2026
  • But the rest of the Rams special teams have been up and down.
    — Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2021
  • As a spectacle this event has gone up and down over the years.
    — Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2021
  • Everybody use a sharp knife straight up and down.
    — Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
  • Good hitters up and down the lineup.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Upright Hoovers are heavy and hard to move up and down the stairs.
    — Simon Books, chicagotribune.com, 10 Apr. 2021
  • Bounce up and down on the balls of your feet with minimum knee bend.
    — Jen Murphy, WSJ, 29 Jan. 2022
  • But a Scotch egg, a common treat in pubs up and down the land?
    — Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2020
  • Lower the quilt into the tub and push it up and down with your hands.
    — oregonlive, 15 Oct. 2020
  • This winter season has been up and down like a clown on a pogo stick.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2023
  • The clues of what the pandemic had wrought were up and down our street.
    — Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2020
  • The pods spin around the arms, while the arms rotate and move up and down around the base.
    — Charles Infosino, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2022
  • Today, his commute is an hour flight up and down the coast once a week.
    — Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2021
  • Flutter your arms and legs up and down while still keeping them off the floor.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2022
  • To switch, just tap the other line or the up and down arrow on the left.
    — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 4 June 2026
  • Be sure to move side to side as well as up and down as in the last exercise.
    — Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 18 Apr. 2022
  • Not many people over 6-foot-1 walk up and down pit row at a car race.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2026
  • Jump up and down, wave your arms, and yell or make noise with pots and pans, airhorns, or whistles.
    — Alisha McDarris, Popular Science, 12 Oct. 2020
  • Our bat quality up and down the lineup has been good.
    — Tyler Carmona, Miami Herald, 21 June 2026
  • This game was a big rivalry with a lot of emotion and up and down.
    — Anton Williams, al, 16 Sep. 2022
  • Most campuses reopened up and down the state over the spring.
    — Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2021
  • Since then, Lizzo’s fortunes have been up and down.
    — Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'up-and-down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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