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

Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt said cornerback Kelee Ringo shouted out a signal to him before the snap, and Hunt dropped back into coverage and snagged Dalton’s throw. —Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 June 2026

The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%. —Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Wilson told the outlet that Junie knows her way home, adding that the cat could be dropped back off at the family's property. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026

Overnight temperatures will drop back down to the 50s for the metro area and the mid-40s for northern Minnesota. —Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for drop back

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