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

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

Vingegaard, in his first day in the pink jersey, alongside Jayco AlUla’s Ben O’Connor and Lidl-Trek’s home hero Giulio Ciccone led discussions with the commissaires, with the Dane dropping back to the organisers’ car with 50km (31 miles) remaining to lead discussions. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 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

The descent comes by bicycle, dropping back through emerald rice terraces and village lanes as the island wakes up around you. —Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear 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