DROPPING BACK Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

dropping back

verb

present participle of drop back

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dropping back With 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 75% of his passes this season, Orange High’s junior quarterback has rarely faltered when dropping back. — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Despite dropping back in the final kilometers, overall leader Tadej Pogačar limited his time losses by driving the main chase group across the line. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 The loss snapped Miami’s seven-game unbeaten streak in league play and was the team’s third loss in a row after dropping back-to-back games in the Leagues Cup tournament. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 But first, dropping back from a low zone along the right sideline, Pettus snared a deep pass intended for Mack Hollins amid a crowd of players. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026 Downs is everywhere As expected, rookie defensive back Caleb Downs has been moved all over the field, mostly playing nickel cornerback but also dropping back to play deep safety. — Jon MacHota, New York Times, 31 July 2026 With both blockades fueling fears over global energy supplies, the price of international benchmark Brent crude oil jumped above the $100 a barrel threshold Thursday for the first time since May before dropping back down. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 24 July 2026 The Dream fell to the Seattle Storm 105-90 on Saturday after dropping back-to-back games to the Golden State Valkyries — 77-66 on June 24 and 78-75 on June 26. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The Griz constantly pumps the rod to get his bait darting forward and then dropping back. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropping back

Verb

Smalls is accused of withdrawing over $17,000 in cash and sending money to herself via Cash App on several occasions, according to court documents obtained by WJZ.

— Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
In addition to delaying missile shipments to Tokyo and withdrawing its aircraft carrier from the region, the United States has scaled back or canceled joint military exercises with South Korea.

— David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

Gabriel Moreno hit an RBI single in the fourth and, after Kyle Hart walked the bases loaded in the sixth, Perdomo cleared them with a double that bounced off the glove of retreating center fielder Jackson Merrill and then off the padded fence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
The brand has been retreating by the month back to its roots in Florida.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of retreating

Verb

The risk of debris falling back to Earth and harming someone or something is slim but not zero.

— Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly jumped above $90 in the morning before falling back below $87.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of falling back

Verb

Standing before the jury, Rifkin put on blue latex gloves and cut open a brown paper evidence bag, pulling out a dirty bleach bottle.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Does Swift, having been queen of the world for this many years, still think of herself as a loser who’s pulling out of here to win?

— Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of pulling out

Verb

The mission will arrive at the moons in 2027, spend two years mapping Phobos and selecting a landing site for sampling before backing away to observe Deimos.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Instead of literally backing away, in this example, the person metaphorically backs away by completing the session and exiting as expected without further conflict.

— Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of backing away

Verb

More experienced tradespeople are retiring, while fewer young workers are entering fields such as welding, electrical work, plumbing, advanced manufacturing, and industrial maintenance.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Of the roughly 1,100 allegations against staff members, approximately 320 resulted in an employee resigning or retiring before any final disciplinary action or termination, according to the report.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of retiring

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dropping back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropping%20back. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dropping back

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

discreet

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes