fall back

verb

Definition of fall backnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 fall back This represents a further stretch on budgets of consumers already dealing with above-target inflation, and without the boon of company stock to fall back on. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 County Commissioner Alexandra Davis warned there is no guarantee services will be less expensive for cities if fire-rescue falls back under county control. — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026 It was expected to crest at 12 feet in the afternoon and fall back below by Friday morning. — Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Aug. 2026 The risk of debris falling back to Earth and harming someone or something is slim but not zero. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
  1. withdraw
  2. retreat
  3. drop back
  4. pull out
  5. retire
Verb
  • When combined with a hot blanket of the humidity the city has endured throughout the summer, players could be forced to withdraw from their matches or push through, risking injury.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Although the proposal will remain on Thursday’s agenda because of the 72-hour posting requirement, Kayatta said it will effectively be withdrawn during the meeting with authorization from Board President Tara Jeane.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of withdraw
Verb
  • Officials say people who encounter a wolf should not run, but rather make noises, maintain eye contact and retreat slowly.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There was television, which, starting in the nineteen-fifties, kept kids indoors; also, houses got a lot bigger, and families smaller, so that most kids suddenly had the option of retreating to their own bedrooms.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • The soggy weekend comes as temperatures are expected to climb again in Los Angeles this week, soaring into the mid-90s by Wednesday and Thursday and dropping back into the 80s next weekend.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the race continued to unfold, Gasly steadily dropped back.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of drop back
Verb
  • Chelsea and Everton were left stunned after Monaco called off the sale of Lamine Camara to the former English club, only for his team-mate and USMNT striker Folarin Balogun to pull out of a move to the latter.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Piacenti, 32, was stabbed in the abdomen after police say suspect Pamela Cisneros pulled out a pair of knives and attacked Piacenti and a 68-year-old man, according to NYPD ​Commissioner ⁠Jessica Tisch.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of pull out
Verb
  • Cathy Engelbert will retire as WNBA commissioner at the end of the year, ending a tenure of seven-plus years that saw both tremendous growth and some turmoil for the league.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Murray leaned on her relationship with teammates, the Nebraska staff and John Cook, the coach who recruited her — and retired after the 2024 season — to survive that time.
    — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of retire

Browse Nearby Words

fall away
fall back
fall back on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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