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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drop back
On Sunday, Maye dropped back again near the same midfield spot.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
But on 3rd and 2, Houston dropped back to pass and Marcus Jones continued his huge game by breaking up a pass intended for Christian Kirk.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
On the first play of the Peach Bowl, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore dropped back to pass.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2026
With the clock winding down, Venice dropped back to pass.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
But on 3rd and 2, Houston dropped back to pass and Marcus Jones continued his huge game by breaking up a pass intended for Christian Kirk.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
On the first play of the Peach Bowl, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore dropped back to pass.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2026
With the clock winding down, Venice dropped back to pass.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop back
Verb
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The Kremlin insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but never fully captured.—
KAMILA HRABCHUK,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
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Back in June 2025, Baldoni’s team withdrew their bid to subpoena Swift, and instead successfully petitioned for access to said text exchanges.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s remarks Wednesday, suddenly retreating from his threat of military force, could mitigate some of the damage inflicted on Washington’s most cherished relationships.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Start the day with a swim in one of the hotel’s three infinity pools before retreating to the bar for a lunchtime cocktail, or the spa for pampering.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One thing Grande isn’t showing signs of slowing down on in the near future is acting, having fallen back in love with the artform through her time on the Wicked set.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
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At least three large pieces of space debris — old satellites and spent rocket stages — fall back to Earth every day on average, but researchers have only a very limited understanding of where these potentially dangerous fragments land and what happens to them in the atmosphere.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After the game, Pats defensive tackle Milton Williams pulled out the disrespect card, saying that people have not paid enough attention to his team’s defensive performance.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
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They’re designed to be hard to pull out and may require a little work to remove.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Two of her fellow teacher-in-space contenders - both retired now - attended a memorial ceremony last week as the families of the astronauts gathered back at the launch site.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Adam Wainwright played for Team USA in the final year of his career in 2023, and Clayton Kershaw will play for America this year despite retiring after last season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20back. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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