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
Tagovailoa’s third turnover occurred on Miami’s first drive of the second half when a short pass over the middle of the field was intercepted by Colts defensive lineman Laiatu Latu, who dropped back into coverage on Miami’s offense while a three Colts rushers came after Tagovailoa.
—
Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Borralho dropped back to 185 pounds for his UFC debut in April 2011.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Bullock, who had a fine game otherwise, dropped back, didn’t see an open man and took a sack for a 15-yard loss rather than throw the ball away.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
There was a bizarre play in the first half when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart dropped back to pass then scrambled from the Giants’ 45-yard line to the Patriots’ 32-yard line before fumbling the ball away to the Patriots.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
After a four-game winning streak, the Valkyries dropped back-to-back games to two of the league's elite squads, Atlanta and Phoenix.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Since then, chances have dropped back to a nearly 85% chance.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Borralho dropped back to 185 pounds for his UFC debut in April 2011.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Bullock, who had a fine game otherwise, dropped back, didn’t see an open man and took a sack for a 15-yard loss rather than throw the ball away.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
There was a bizarre play in the first half when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart dropped back to pass then scrambled from the Giants’ 45-yard line to the Patriots’ 32-yard line before fumbling the ball away to the Patriots.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
After a four-game winning streak, the Valkyries dropped back-to-back games to two of the league's elite squads, Atlanta and Phoenix.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Since then, chances have dropped back to a nearly 85% chance.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropped back
Verb
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Just a day before Amtrak unveiled its new Acela trains, his department withdrew another $175 million earmarked for California rail projects.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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In January 2023, Imavov was booked to face Kelvin Gastelum, but that fight fell apart when Gastelum withdrew.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gerson believes the gangs have retreated.—
Johnny Fils-Aimé,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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Runner-up Sabalenka, meanwhile, retreated to another area, smashed her racket until the frame buckled and sat with her back against the wall, next to the scratch marks left on the floor.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Angels pulled out a 4-3 victory as Jo Adell remained a thorn in the Royals’ side.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
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The Chicago Bears have definitely pulled out all the stops to try and make life as easy as possible for quarterback Caleb Williams this offseason, adding even more weapons and bolstering their offensive line.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2025, Kirk shared that Zak had been diagnosed with heart failure and medically retired from football.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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Alcaraz holds a 9-5 career advantage, 3-2 in majors and 6-2 on hardcourts, including the Cincinnati final where Sinner retired with a virus.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once Kefalos backed away, her dog put herself under the bed and started running around again.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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Trump backed away from sanctions, preferring low-level talks in Istanbul which went nowhere.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dropped back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20back. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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