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
Against Florida, Dell’Orso noticed the Gators big men were dropping back only half of the time.
—
Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back to throw on 4th-and-short, but the Texans covered his primary target out of the backfield.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back to throw on 4th-and-short, but the Texans covered his primary target out of the backfield.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop back
Verb
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Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized power again in August 2021 as American and NATO troops were withdrawing after a 20-year war, of harboring militants and members of the Pakistani Taliban.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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The victims were customers of the same bank, and all were robbed after withdrawing money, Collins said.—
Cameron Macdonald,
Mercury News,
6 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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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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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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McConnell will retire at the end of his term in 2026.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Hinsdale High School District 86 Board was slated to vote Wednesday on the approval of a new superintendent to replace Michael Lach, who is retiring.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20back. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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