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
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
The enlistment age was dropped back to 35 in 2016.
—Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 25 Mar. 2026
Waits’ last album, Bad as Me, dropped back in 2011 — the same year he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
With Detroit’s win over Calgary, the B’s dropped back to the second wild-card spot.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
The enlistment age was dropped back to 35 in 2016.
—Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 25 Mar. 2026
Waits’ last album, Bad as Me, dropped back in 2011 — the same year he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
With Detroit’s win over Calgary, the B’s dropped back to the second wild-card spot.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropped back
Verb
-
The streaming giant’s stock price doesn’t yet reflect it, but analysts’ uniformly positive reaction is perhaps the biggest vote of confidence by the Street since Netflix last month withdrew its proposal to acquire Warner Bros.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The wars in Iran and Ukraine will be top of the agenda, while South Africa, which was supposed to attend as an observing nation, says France withdrew its G7 invitation after the US threatened to boycott.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But as senators retreated to privately discuss the new plan, action stalled out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Oil prices have retreated, but there are no signs of a broader relief rally this morning.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, Mallach pulled out a pen and made two drawings on a napkin.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Porter pulled out prior to interviewing with Johnson and a community panel.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Plus Yosh Nijman, Ekwonu’s backup and the Panthers’ swing tackle, suddenly retired earlier this month — flinging the Panthers’ offensive line plan into even narrower straits.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
-
County records show communication between most of these employees, some now retired, concerning the Esparto fireworks site.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The unidentified man backed away from Martin, still chewing the cigarette, and waved to the camera before the broadcast cut away.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Dropped back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20back. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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