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
The Golden State Warriors just dropped back-to-back games to the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
No quarterback in the NFL has dropped back more times in the past two seasons than Nix.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
And prices dropped back around the $2 mark soon after thanks to a higher production of broilers — or chickens raised for meat — in the latter half of the year.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
On third down, Maye dropped back to pass, felt pressure and scrambled up the middle for 16 yards.
—February 9, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Late in the third quarter, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye dropped back to pass, looking for answers.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 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
The cryptocurrency rose above $96,000 late last week but has dropped back to around $89,700.
—Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
No quarterback in the NFL has dropped back more times in the past two seasons than Nix.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
And prices dropped back around the $2 mark soon after thanks to a higher production of broilers — or chickens raised for meat — in the latter half of the year.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
On third down, Maye dropped back to pass, felt pressure and scrambled up the middle for 16 yards.
—February 9, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Late in the third quarter, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye dropped back to pass, looking for answers.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 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
The cryptocurrency rose above $96,000 late last week but has dropped back to around $89,700.
—Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropped back
Verb
-
Actor Issa Rae and author Louise Penny also withdrew from appearances while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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After the embassy contacted families, about two-thirds of the students — roughly 250 children, including around 100 Americans — withdrew from the school and returned to their home countries, according to parents and a person familiar with the investigation.—
Mark Banchereau,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has retreated from the near-$120 per barrel seen earlier in the week, as the International Energy Agency agreed on Wednesday to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from its emergency reserves.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
O’Brien has not retreated from public life.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last week, Anthropic pulled out of a pending agreement with the Defense Department over stated concerns about how its technologies could be used for autonomous warfare and mass domestic surveillance.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
However, Liu has also pulled out of the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czech Republic.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Johnson, 80, retired at Mission Viejo after the 2017 season as Orange County’s all-time leader in coaching victories with 338, according to county football historian Dennis Bateman.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
12 Mar. 2026
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Grandisson, now retired, worked as an executive in the insurance industry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The following week, the benchmark climbed more than 5% as the White House backed away from the most aggressive proposals.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
-
After a short struggle, Delgado backed away from Broom, pulled his gun from his holster and ordered her to drop the knife, according to the report.—
David Goodhue
March 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dropped back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20back. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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