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

Avoid common pitfalls such as poor voice quality that harms brand perception, over-automating emotional interactions too soon and rolling out systems without strong human fallback options. —Leonard Martin Schmedding, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on fruity fallbacks and tech titans. —FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Verb

This post was originally published on September 1 Bitcoin has lost steam from its recent rally, falling back from an all-time high of $124,000 per bitcoin amid a sudden crisis at the Federal Reserve. —Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Ejecta from Nix and Hydra may fall back onto the surface to create a centimeters-thick layer of dust over time. —Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 1 Sep. 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