Synonyms of fall back

fall back

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• withdraw
• retreat
• drop back
• pull out
• retire
• back away
• give way
• lose ground
• recede
• flee
• give ground
• evacuate
• fly
• climb down
• leave
• pull away
• shrink
• flinch
• chicken (out)
• back down
• recoil
• go
• bow out
• detach
• depart
• abandon
• disengage
• vacate
• disentangle
• quit
• backtrack
• backpedal

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advance
• face
• breast
• dare
• confront
• beard
• defy
• brave
• outbrave
• brazen

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fall back

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

And after a hot start, quarterback Bo Nix has fallen back into inconsistency, with even fewer windows available in Wednesday’s team periods given the absences of his two top receivers in Waddle and Sutton. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026

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

The team speculates that’s likely where the flies fall back on simpler reflexes. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026