as in withdrew
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 dropped back
Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt said cornerback Kelee Ringo shouted out a signal to him before the snap, and Hunt dropped back into coverage and snagged Dalton’s throw.
—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%.
—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Wilson told the outlet that Junie knows her way home, adding that the cat could be dropped back off at the family's property.
—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
The price later dropped back down.
—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Past winners Will Power and Josef Newgarden moved into the top two positions after Rosenqvist pitted, but the Swede regained the lead when Newgarden pitted for the first time on Lap 37 and dropped back to 14th.
—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
When the Nissan dropped back, Mulligan signalled once more.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Daily use has dropped back down since the holiday frenzy, according to online news reports.
—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Ridden Saturday for the first time by jockey Flavien Prat, Commandment dropped back to last in the field of six midway through the 1 1/8-mile stakes, content to allow the others to contest the pace.
—
Clark Spencer,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%.
—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Wilson told the outlet that Junie knows her way home, adding that the cat could be dropped back off at the family's property.
—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
The price later dropped back down.
—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Past winners Will Power and Josef Newgarden moved into the top two positions after Rosenqvist pitted, but the Swede regained the lead when Newgarden pitted for the first time on Lap 37 and dropped back to 14th.
—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
When the Nissan dropped back, Mulligan signalled once more.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Daily use has dropped back down since the holiday frenzy, according to online news reports.
—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Ridden Saturday for the first time by jockey Flavien Prat, Commandment dropped back to last in the field of six midway through the 1 1/8-mile stakes, content to allow the others to contest the pace.
—
Clark Spencer,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropped back
Verb
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Trump withdrew from the JCPOA agreement in 2018, during his first term as president.
-
The Arkansas Department of Education first released a set of draft rules in November but withdrew them after the proposal drew hundreds of critical comments from parents and others for being too restrictive.
Verb
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Oil prices retreated to around $80 a barrel on Friday, down from a peak of $118 in March when the war was at its height.
-
The officer retreated and fired several shots, killing the dog and injuring its owner, who was trying to secure the animal, police said.
Verb
-
Room had a big game with more than a dozen saves; his wife, his wife pulled out the list of haters and went on the attack.
-
The world’s second-largest consumer of crude oil, China, has pulled out all the stops to preserve supplies as the war in Iran has cut off access to more than 11 million barrels of oil per day.
Verb
-
Ashcraft eventually settled in and retired the last 10 batters.
-
Opener Casey Legumina retired the first four batters before Ian Seymour (4-1) took over in the second inning.
Verb
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While some states have backed away from the event, which starts Thursday, Idaho is leaning in.
-
Even before Republican leaders abruptly backed away from redistricting, Wednesday’s special session felt unlike any other.
Cite this Entry
“Dropped back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20back. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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