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

Phrases

fall back on or fall back upon

: to have recourse to

had to fall back on their reserves

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

For full-size gimbals, Zhiyun is the obvious fallback brand for Ronin owners, though its line isn't as well-suited for use for cinema and commercial production. —PC Magazine, 13 Nov. 2025

The availability of the highest speeds still depends on your service area, but AT&T is a compelling, future-ready choice for businesses that run large data flows, require symmetrical speeds, or want a strong fallback option in case of an outage. —Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025

Verb

Over time, a significant amount this debris coalesced gravitationally to form the Moon, while the rest of it either fell back to Earth or escaped to elsewhere in the Solar System. —Big Think, 26 Nov. 2025

Now, Walmart is really the industry’s only counterpoint to Amazon and Target has stagnated over the last couple years, falling back toward the rest of the retail pack. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025

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
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

fall back

verb

: retreat entry 2 sense 1