as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
a change in the wind direction forced the firefighters to drop back
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Recent Examples of drop back
Gold’s price rallied near $5,600 per ounce in the morning before suddenly and briefly dropping back below $5,200.
—
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Morning temps will drop back below freezing on Saturday, and the subsequent afternoon temps are expected to sit in the mid- to upper 40s by the afternoon.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2026
Road conditions are expected to remain hazardous Wednesday morning after temperatures drop back below freezing overnight, officials with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said on Tuesday.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2026
Rieder’s odds topped 60% on Polymarket and Kalshi this weekend before dropping back slightly, while the previous front runner Warsh saw his odds fall sharply to around 30%.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Morning temps will drop back below freezing on Saturday, and the subsequent afternoon temps are expected to sit in the mid- to upper 40s by the afternoon.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2026
Road conditions are expected to remain hazardous Wednesday morning after temperatures drop back below freezing overnight, officials with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said on Tuesday.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2026
Rieder’s odds topped 60% on Polymarket and Kalshi this weekend before dropping back slightly, while the previous front runner Warsh saw his odds fall sharply to around 30%.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop back
Verb
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However, that petition was later withdrawn in 2025, the complaint said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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China has invested little in Russia’s economy, and nowhere near the amount that the West withdrew after Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.—
Alan Cullison,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Illinois lawmakers recently flirted with a tax on unrealized gains—think of stocks yet to be sold at fluctuating prices that only exist on paper—before retreating.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
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Jackson was disinvited from the Grammy Awards telecast the following week and largely retreated from the public spotlight, while Timberlake’s career continued uninterrupted.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Later in the week, highs will fall back into the 20s and 30s, and there will be more chances for snow.—
Joseph Dames,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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The rocket reached an altitude of 224 miles (360 km) before falling back to Earth.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the time, analysts had attributed Baumgertner's arrest to retaliation for Uralkali's decision to pull out of a joint venture.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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Similarly, in Oklahoma City, the private owners of a warehouse that was set to be purchased by ICE pulled out of a deal following outcry at city council meetings and protests downtown.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Doug and Big Jane eventually retired down in San Antonio, close to their boys.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
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La Shelle Dozier, SHRA’s longest serving executive director, retired in October.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20back. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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