fallback

1 of 2

noun

fall·​back ˈfȯl-ˌbak 

1

: something on which one can fall back : reserve

—often used attributively

a fallback career

a fallback position

2

: a falling back : retreat

3

: something that falls back

the fallback from an explosion

fall back

2 of 2

verb

fell back; fallen back; falling back; falls back

intransitive verb

: retreat, recede

see also:

fall back on

Synonyms of fallback

Verb

• withdraw
• retreat
• drop back
• pull out
• retire

Examples of fallback in a Sentence

Verb

resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Like many of us, LISA had a fallback in case her K-pop career didn’t pan out. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026

The robot’s job is to work down a ladder of fallbacks, each one trying to resolve the failure more cheaply than a person could. — Shivansh Inamdar, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

When the going is tough, the best bet is often to fall back on financial basics. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026

If the stock market corrects and the top 20% pulls back on discretionary spending, a diminished middle class leaves the economy with a weaker floor to fall back on. — Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fallback

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

Kids Definition

fall back

verb

: retreat entry 2 sense 1