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

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

Phishing-resistant authentication should replace weak fallback methods to safeguard workforce access. 2. —Bojan Šimić, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

As a fallback, the administration also sought permission to begin public communications on how the policy would be implemented, should it eventually be upheld. —Dan Gooding gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025

Verb

With a 3-over 73 on his 29th birthday, the triple-bogey on No. 1 being his first since the 2024 BMW Championship, Scheffler fell back to the cluster at 7-under. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025

Ever since that buzzy vodka cocktail fell back into favor in 2021—and flew onto cocktail menus around the world—java is popping up all over menus in classic and unexpected ways. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 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