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
Orange quarterback Rickie Collins dropped back and threw a deep pass intended for receiver Darius Johnson.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier dropped back to pass only to find Rodriguez in coverage.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
In the third quarter, on Carolina’s third offensive sack, Dalton dropped back, got pressure, couldn’t escape and fumbled again.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
That was especially considering the Eagles dropped back-to-back games after winning their first four.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
McNeill dropped back and scrambled for a few seconds before finding Kash Kelly in the end zone for a touchdown.
—Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
With space, Alejado dropped back and quickly spotted another wide-open target, Nick Cenacle.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Wentz dropped back, planted his back foot and uncorked a missile.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Tyquan Thornton dropped back to fourth on the depth chart with Xavier Worthy’s return, but Thornton still led Kansas City in receiving yards (90) and should continue to have a role in the offense moving forward.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier dropped back to pass only to find Rodriguez in coverage.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
In the third quarter, on Carolina’s third offensive sack, Dalton dropped back, got pressure, couldn’t escape and fumbled again.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
That was especially considering the Eagles dropped back-to-back games after winning their first four.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
McNeill dropped back and scrambled for a few seconds before finding Kash Kelly in the end zone for a touchdown.
—Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
With space, Alejado dropped back and quickly spotted another wide-open target, Nick Cenacle.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Wentz dropped back, planted his back foot and uncorked a missile.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Tyquan Thornton dropped back to fourth on the depth chart with Xavier Worthy’s return, but Thornton still led Kansas City in receiving yards (90) and should continue to have a role in the offense moving forward.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropped back
Verb
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Former North Crowley standout Ka’Morreun Pimpton also withdrew his name from the portal Sunday.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Jan. 2026
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew its troops last week following a deadline from Saudi Arabia.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Unsurprisngly, Meg White, who retreated from public life and hasn’t been heard from for over a decade, was a no-show.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
-
People retreated in fear that more would come.—
Kim Lane Scheppele,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The suspect started to run away, then pulled out a gun and fired at the homeowner before continuing to flee, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Pullouts feature an actual mattress that’s, well, pulled out from the sofa in some way.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Owens and her parents, KGO 810 radio legend Ronn Owens and former KCBS reporter Jan Black, moved to Arizona during the coronavirus pandemic, after Ronn Owens retired from KGO-810 after 46 years.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
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Christy officially retired from professional boxing in 2012.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Strategy — The bitcoin treasury firm gained more than 3% after MSCI backed away from its plan to remove digital asset treasury companies from MSCI Indexes.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
7 Jan. 2026
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Spotify has long backed away from wanting to fully own and operate its own shows, finding more value in serving as a tech, monetization, and distribution platform for podcasters.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dropped back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20back. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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