drop back

verb

dropped back; dropping back; drops back

intransitive verb

1

: retreat

2

: to move straight back from the line of scrimmage

the quarterback drops back to pass

Synonyms of drop back

• withdraw
• retreat
• fall back
• pull out
• retire

Examples of drop back in a Sentence

a change in the wind direction forced the firefighters to drop back

Recent Examples on the Web

If hostilities end quickly, oil prices could drop back to a range of $60 to $70 per barrel , but any attack by Tehran on any neighboring facilities could mean Brent prices above $100 a barrel, according to Francisco Blanch, commodity strategist at Bank of America. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026

Temperatures will drop back down into the 50s on Tuesday and the 60s on Wednesday and Thursday, according to weather service forecasters. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026

Temperatures remain steady in the upper 30s and lower 40s through sunset, before dropping back into the upper 20s and lower 30s as the forecast dries out overnight. —Cutter Martin, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

But nighttime temperatures will drop back below freezing, creating a gradual thawing that prevents the landscape from being inundated with meltwater. —Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for drop back

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback