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

The satellite fallback could ease a very real worry for anyone taking their companion beyond the reach of cell towers. — New Atlas, 26 July 2026

If Democrats block a stopgap bill, Thune will face plenty of problems with his fallback approach of passing a party-line spending bill to fund some of the government this fall. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 2026

Verb

Global oil prices fell back on Friday after a week of volatility. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

Faced with an assessment task that is squishy, particularly when dealing with students who are at the beginning of their growth as writers, many teachers have fallen back on structural measures. — Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 29 July 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