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 MPKs have no idea how to de-escalate the situation and fall back on what seems to be their default setting of being disproportionately violent toward unarmed fellow humans.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Baker either avoided directly answering any questions related to the Massachusetts political arena, falling back on his new role at the NCAA for taking him away from the Bay State.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Temperatures should reach around 73 degrees on Friday, fall back to the low- to mid-60s by Saturday, and reach around 65 degrees by Sunday.
—Vytas Reid, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Knowing when to jump into the conversation at the right time, and knowing when to fall back.
—Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Baker either avoided directly answering any questions related to the Massachusetts political arena, falling back on his new role at the NCAA for taking him away from the Bay State.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Temperatures should reach around 73 degrees on Friday, fall back to the low- to mid-60s by Saturday, and reach around 65 degrees by Sunday.
—Vytas Reid, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Knowing when to jump into the conversation at the right time, and knowing when to fall back.
—Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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His is a more enlightened era, but Hannes, lonely and withdrawn, doesn’t share his classmates’ interest in campus sit-ins and free love.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Days after four Republican candidates withdrew from the upcoming Platte County election and launched independent campaigns, the county’s Republican committee announced plans to censure those candidates and deem them unwelcome within the party.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The Wolves will retreat to their corner, bandage some wounds and aim to actually come out swinging Friday after cowering in the corner for the bulk of Game 2.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
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As Elliot retreats from the devastating reality of his illness, father and daughter are forced to confront the unspoken truths between them.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Verb
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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
-
On Mother’s Day, temperatures drop back to around 70 degrees, with mostly sunny skies.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Verb
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But as the rover attempted to pull out its drill arm, the rock came up with it, having gotten lodged onto the sleeve that surrounds the tool’s bit.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
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The tool analyzed every transcript, pulled out every distinct claim each speaker made, and turned each one into a numerical fingerprint that captures meaning rather than wording.—
Gina Chua,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Mary Brown retired after coaching boys and girls volleyball in the district for 19 years, including the past eight years with the Knights’ boys team.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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But, after the couple retired and migrated south to Mexico City, Hurst dove back into photography with gusto, until his death, from cancer, in 2023.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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