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

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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 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 The descent comes by bicycle, dropping back through emerald rice terraces and village lanes as the island wakes up around you. — Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 23 May 2026 When opening an app, the CPU would spike to 96% before dropping back to more pedestrian 17% usage after a couple of seconds. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026 The Padres won the final two games in San Francisco to win the series, their first after dropping back-to-back series to the Cubs and White Sox. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropping back

Verb

Trump announced last month that there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, with Israeli forces withdrawing as Hamas disarms and an International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the enclave.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
The list includes measures such as an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing military forces and permanently ending the war.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

Record-low water levels along the Danube River have exposed dozens of German military shipwrecks near the Serbian town of Prahovo, where an estimated 200 vessels were deliberately scuttled by retreating Nazi forces in 1944.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Surveillance video recovered by police showed the two men fighting in an alley and then Britt retreating from Fitzsimmons, according to the charging document.

— Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of retreating

Verb

The youngest brother of Daniel, William and Alec Baldwin characterized at least part of his falling back from Hollywood as a way to free himself from industry expectations.

— Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Elder looked like a Cy Young candidate alongside Sale early on before falling back to Earth.

— Jesús Cano, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of falling back

Verb

Republican Jim Shaw injected humor into his remarks, pulling out a Florida flag while distancing himself from substance use.

— Joan Murray, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
But the timing of it is interesting, because that 2022 offseason has become a flashpoint in autopsies of Yzerman’s tenure, with some actually viewing it as an example of the general manager getting impatient and pulling out of the rebuild too soon.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of pulling out

Verb

And yet, for the first time in more than a century, the United States is not backing away.

— Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Zoom isn’t backing away from traditional commercials, says Storin, but sees a need to shift to new tactics as digitally-savvy consumers discover services, products and brands in different ways.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 July 2026

Definition of backing away

Verb

That work is arguably getting harder as chief executives stay in the job longer, causing their possible successors to get restless; some are bolting to jobs elsewhere or retiring themselves.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Mogg is a former PGA Tour player, the world’s highest level of competitive golf, and since retiring has coached players on the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Korn Ferry Tours to more than 30 championships.

— Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026