as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fall back
There are some carryover shoe trends from the summer to fall back on, one of the biggest ones being crochet flats.
—
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
Everything can fall back into Vought’s perfect scheme and nobody gets hurt, nobody gets killed, nobody gets sent back to Elmira.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
Baby Steps doesn't go quite that hard, giving players occasional major checkpoints and large, flat plains that prevent you from falling back too far.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Jews under Emperor Franz Joseph had no nation to fall back on, unlike the Czechs or the Hungarians.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
Everything can fall back into Vought’s perfect scheme and nobody gets hurt, nobody gets killed, nobody gets sent back to Elmira.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
Baby Steps doesn't go quite that hard, giving players occasional major checkpoints and large, flat plains that prevent you from falling back too far.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Jews under Emperor Franz Joseph had no nation to fall back on, unlike the Czechs or the Hungarians.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
-
Ryan Yates, who had been a destructive figure in midfield, was subsequently withdrawn amid three attacking changes, which saw Callum Hudson-Odoi, Omari Hutchinson and Igor Jesus introduced, giving Forest more threat, but also allowing Newcastle more openings.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
After President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection campaign yesterday, the endorsements have been rolling in for Vice President Kamala Harris to be selected as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israeli forces began pulling back from the coastal highway into Gaza city overnight after the Cabinet approval of the ceasefire, which requires troops to retreat to a buffer zone.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
-
As the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is rapidly retreating.—
Nell Lewis,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The first one came in Week 1, when Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa never saw Latu drop back in coverage and threw it straight to him; the second came against the Raiders when Smith had a pass tipped by defensive tackle Grover Stewart, and the ball landed right in Latu’s arms.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Tyquan Thornton dropped back to fourth on the depth chart with Xavier Worthy’s return, but Thornton still led Kansas City in receiving yards (90) and should continue to have a role in the offense moving forward.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some Middle Eastern carriers really pull out all the stops with multi-room suites, including a shower, as their highest level of service.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Surely, Patrick Mahomes would pull out another comeback victory.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The superintendent of Julian Union Elementary School District is retiring at the end of the school year after more than a decade leading the tiny rural district in San Diego County’s mountainous east.—
Sam Schulz,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In an amicus brief filed on Thursday, a group of former secretaries of the Army and Navy and retired four-star admirals and generals encouraged Judge Perry to express caution about the broader use of the National Guard in domestic operations.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share