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

No one has dropped back more over the last two years than Nix. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 July 2026

The Dream fell to the Seattle Storm 105-90 on Saturday after dropping back-to-back games to the Golden State Valkyries — 77-66 on June 24 and 78-75 on June 26. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Advocaat threw his arms in the air, dropped back into his seat, and wept again. — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

By the weekend, high temps will drop back into the 80s. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 June 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