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
Daniels took the snap out of the pistol formation and dropped back to pass in the third quarter.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 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
Vargas played forward when attacking, dropped back when defending.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2025
Wentz dropped back, planted his back foot and uncorked a missile.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
After hitting his glove, the ball hit the top of the fence, and then dropped back into Frelick's glove.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 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
Applications to refinance a home loan, which rose sharply in mid-September and then dropped back again two weeks ago, fell further last week, down 8%.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 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
Vargas played forward when attacking, dropped back when defending.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2025
Wentz dropped back, planted his back foot and uncorked a missile.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
After hitting his glove, the ball hit the top of the fence, and then dropped back into Frelick's glove.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 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
Applications to refinance a home loan, which rose sharply in mid-September and then dropped back again two weeks ago, fell further last week, down 8%.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropped back
Verb
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The South American country withdrew visa-free access in April in response to the three countries barring Brazilian passport holders from visa-free access.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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The South African played this weekend in the PGA Tour's Bank of Utah Championship, but withdrew after the first round.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At one point in the third quarter, Daniels scrambled against a blitz, stopped to throw, then retreated again 14 yards behind the line of scrimmage and completed a pass while getting crushed to the ground.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
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Yet, when countered with decisiveness, Putin has retreated.—
Kathleen Collins,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The 18-year-old broke free, fled on foot and allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic hand gun, which Bettison said was recovered by police.—
Andrea May Sahouri,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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Earlier this year, the mayor's office pulled out of advocacy for modernizing the state's energy standards after months of meetings and engagement on the issue, The Courier Journal previously reported based on email records and interviews.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gausman had retired 17 straight Dodger batters until the seventh inning, when Smith yet again got the best of him, hitting a solo home run to break the stale mate.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Panera eventually retired the item, though not immediately (a legal expert posited to CNN that doing so promptly would have read as an admission of guilt, and in turn spur reputational damage).—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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McIlroy backed away, drawing jeers, before Lowry came over to settle him.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dropped back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20back. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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