as in withdrawing
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 dropping back
Some backups go through every tiny detail of the pre and at-snap routine, even dropping back with a ball in their hand but stopping short of throwing it.
—
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
As moisture increases later this week, a cooling trend will commence with temperatures dropping back into the normal range by Friday.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Six of them could be rushing, or those same six could be dropping back into coverage.
—Omar Kelly
august 5, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
As moisture increases later this week, a cooling trend will commence with temperatures dropping back into the normal range by Friday.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Six of them could be rushing, or those same six could be dropping back into coverage.
—Omar Kelly
august 5, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropping back
Verb
-
Israeli troops still occupy Gaza and won't be withdrawing until Hamas disarms.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
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Other users in the comments suggested the bride look into the legal aspect of the makeup artist withdrawing on such short notice and effectively breaching the contract between them.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is rapidly retreating.—
Nell Lewis,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Browse books, play pool, and spin records in the Living Room before retreating to the 5,600-square-foot spa, complete with a Himalayan salt room, Finnish sauna, seasonal outdoor pool, and treatments by sustainable Italian brand Comfort Zone, among others.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even when new songs have come for the crown, a lot of them have only remained briefly at the top before falling back behind the top 10’s longterm residents in 2025.—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
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And that the time for falling back on progress is over.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After the attack in Doha, Qatar reportedly asked the UAE and Bahrain to close their embassies in Israel—a step that would mean pulling out of the agreement—but both countries have ignored that request.—
Monica Marks,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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Within minutes of pulling out of the neighborhood, motion alerts pinged her phone.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And yet the Republican administration and its congressional allies are showing no signs of caving to Democratic demands or backing away from threats to use the opportunity to pursue deeper cuts to the federal workforce.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Video showed the man backing away from Sanchez, who stands 6-feet-2-inches, before the former quarterback followed then ran after the man, grabbing and throwing him toward the wall of the Westin, another downtown hotel, police wrote in the affidavit.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Raducanu had her blood pressure taken during the match, which was played in oppressive heat and humidity, before retiring down 6-1, 4-1.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Sharon Seelig, who has been president, licensing, is retiring after more than 30 years.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dropping back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropping%20back. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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