as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back
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Recent Examples of fall back
According to Fox Weather, after a warm start to the week, temperatures in the Northeast will fall back to conditions more reminiscent of early spring, with highs in the 60s through the holiday weekend.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 May 2026
But when the external advisor steps away, or when the system flags an unexpected result, decision-making falls back into old patterns.
—Tom Strohl, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
China entered the top tier of global markets in the late 2000s, while India surpassed Hong Kong in late 2023 before falling back below it.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 May 2026
While more experienced doctors might have the ability to fall back on years of clinical expertise, some worry that reliance on such a medical tool might lead to dependence and misplaced confidence among medical students and junior doctors.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 May 2026
But when the external advisor steps away, or when the system flags an unexpected result, decision-making falls back into old patterns.
—Tom Strohl, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
China entered the top tier of global markets in the late 2000s, while India surpassed Hong Kong in late 2023 before falling back below it.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 May 2026
While more experienced doctors might have the ability to fall back on years of clinical expertise, some worry that reliance on such a medical tool might lead to dependence and misplaced confidence among medical students and junior doctors.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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Hulst and Toomey decided to withdraw from the mile at the State meet.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Generally, the pre-tax money that’s deposited in traditional IRAs cannot be withdrawn before age 59½ without paying a 10% early-withdrawal tax penalty, unless an exception is met.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Instead of retreating from global trade, many small and mid-sized companies are leaning in and even accelerating global expansion.—
Greg Hewitt,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Wilson told the outlet that Junie knows her way home, adding that the cat could be dropped back off at the family's property.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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The decision was made to neutralise GC timings ahead of the final circuit — effectively taking times with 16km remaining — allowing the favourites to drop back before the speed increased further, while also improving safety by reducing the size of the peloton.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Here's a look at which performers have pulled out and those that are still set to take the stage.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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At the time of the crash, Funes-Barajas’ mother told the news station KTVU that her son was pulling out of a relative’s driveway when the Mustang struck his vehicle.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The starter hit the first batter of the game but then retired the next 11 hitters in a row before Colson Montgomery collected Chicago’s first hit of the game with two outs in the fourth inning.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
27 May 2026
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Rudisha, known as Rudy, came to the Denver Zoo in 2016 after the Oklahoma City Zoo retired him from a breeding recommendation program.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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