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
Messi dropped back as a deep-lying playmaker in the second half and was more effective, splitting the Colombia backline with precise passing.
—
Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 14 June 2025
Julian Sayin #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes drops back to pass during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on September 28, 2024 in East Lansing, Michigan.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
But after dusk, the temperature is dropping back into the 60s.
—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
From there, the hike drops back down to the edge of the cliffs above the ocean.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 14 June 2025
Julian Sayin #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes drops back to pass during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on September 28, 2024 in East Lansing, Michigan.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
But after dusk, the temperature is dropping back into the 60s.
—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
From there, the hike drops back down to the edge of the cliffs above the ocean.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop back
Verb
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Hall, on the other hand, finished just six strokes behind the champion, despite nearly withdrawing 48 hours earlier.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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In the Trump era, many have speculated about whether or to what degree the United States will withdraw from its leading role in the world.—
KORI SCHAKE,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Groups of demonstrators retreated to nearby streets, only to cut back and regroup near the Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
24 June 2025
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Many analysts believe Iran will retreat, reassemble its nuclear scientists and rebuild its program.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
24 June 2025
Verb
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With a 3-over 73 on his 29th birthday, the triple-bogey on No. 1 being his first since the 2024 BMW Championship, Scheffler fell back to the cluster at 7-under.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
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Ever since that buzzy vodka cocktail fell back into favor in 2021—and flew onto cocktail menus around the world—java is popping up all over menus in classic and unexpected ways.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The House of Representatives has passed legislation which its supporters say aims to stop U.S. funds from ending up in the hands of the Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out of the country in 2021.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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Ominously, Iranian officials are already publicly hinting at pulling out of a key treaty – the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT – designed to monitor and prevent the global spread of nuclear weapons.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Rucker played his entire nine-season NFL career with the Panthers before retiring in 2008.—
Sydney Sasser,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2025
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For Gen Z, that might mean skipping the $28 lunch today—and retiring with $800,000 tomorrow.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20back. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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