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
The only exception to this rule in Arizona is the Navajo Nation, which does spring forward and fall back, putting this area of Arizona at a different time than the rest of the state for half of the year.
—
Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Mar. 2026
When does 2026 daylight savings time spring forward start, DST fall back end?
—Chris Sims, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Mar. 2026
There’s no next paycheck to fall back on.
—Allison Palmer
march 6, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Esteemed writers fall back on lazy analogies and text like drunk high schoolers.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Mar. 2026
When does 2026 daylight savings time spring forward start, DST fall back end?
—Chris Sims, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Mar. 2026
There’s no next paycheck to fall back on.
—Allison Palmer
march 6, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Esteemed writers fall back on lazy analogies and text like drunk high schoolers.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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His son withdrew from high school.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Worries about a possible data center coming to Spring Hill have been put to rest, after the applicant on Friday withdrew its request to rezone more than 300 acres of agricultural land for industrial use.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On her island home in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, the shoreline has visibly retreated within her short lifetime, with beaches eroded, coastal trees uprooted and some homes now barely 3 feet from the sea at high tide.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 54-year-old comedian with a beard full of gray stubble drops back to pass, launching a tight spiral underneath SoFi’s massive technicolor halo scoreboard hovering above a sea of empty stands.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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If hostilities end quickly, oil prices could drop back to a range of $60 to $70 per barrel , but any attack by Tehran on any neighboring facilities could mean Brent prices above $100 a barrel, according to Francisco Blanch, commodity strategist at Bank of America.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, Anderson recruited Burkle as the heavy hitting investor behind a counteroffer to keep the team in Sacramento that ultimately fell through after Burkle pulled out.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Last week, Ellison emerged victorious in a months-long battle for Warner Bros Discovery after Netflix pulled out of the bidding process.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Flores issued a one-out walk and another single in the sixth inning, but the second-year right-hander retired two straight HCU batters to get out of the jam.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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Even as her hard-line tactics have shown some success, Sheinbaum has not renounced the precepts of López Obrador, who, while retired, remains a revered and influential figure.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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