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

That will help answer the matchup issues with physical receivers and could help turn a run defense that took a massive step last season into an elite unit that forces offenses to drop back and face a pass rush of Jared Verse, Byron Young and Kobie Turner. —Jesse Newell, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026

On Tuesday, Chicago will be just north of the warm front, Doom said, so temperatures in the city will drop back into the 50s. —Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026

Temperatures are likely to remain warm during the day, though forecasts show possible snow showers early Thursday night as the low drops back below freezing to the upper 20s. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026

Temperatures drop back into the 60s Thursday and 50s for the remainder of the week and into the weekend. —Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 8 Mar. 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