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
That would be a 21-point drop back from a year ago and almost certainly not enough to make the postseason in the Eastern Conference.
—
James Mirtle, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Orange quarterback Rickie Collins dropped back and threw a deep pass intended for receiver Darius Johnson.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier dropped back to pass only to find Rodriguez in coverage.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
And Bosa appeared to have had a path to Mahomes, only to stop his charge and drop back into coverage instead.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
James Mirtle, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Orange quarterback Rickie Collins dropped back and threw a deep pass intended for receiver Darius Johnson.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier dropped back to pass only to find Rodriguez in coverage.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
And Bosa appeared to have had a path to Mahomes, only to stop his charge and drop back into coverage instead.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
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 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share