drop back
verb
dropped back; dropping back; drops back
1
: retreat
2
: to move straight back from the line of scrimmage
the quarterback drops back to pass
Examples of drop back in a Sentence
a change in the wind direction forced the firefighters to drop back
Recent Examples on the Web
Rieder’s odds topped 60% on Polymarket and Kalshi this weekend before dropping back slightly, while the previous front runner Warsh saw his odds fall sharply to around 30%.
—
Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back to throw on 4th-and-short, but the Texans covered his primary target out of the backfield.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
Against Florida, Dell’Orso noticed the Gators big men were dropping back only half of the time.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
The cryptocurrency rose above $96,000 late last week but has dropped back to around $89,700.
—Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
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Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back to throw on 4th-and-short, but the Texans covered his primary target out of the backfield.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
Against Florida, Dell’Orso noticed the Gators big men were dropping back only half of the time.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
The cryptocurrency rose above $96,000 late last week but has dropped back to around $89,700.
—Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop%20back. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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