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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall back
And because no one has seen this before, leadership can fall back on trial-and-error decision-making.
—
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
When the plane’s nose falls back toward the runway, the plane catches fire and goes up in flames.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 8 June 2026
Highs will fall back into the 70s this weekend.
—Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 8 June 2026
The first video, captured on May 22, 2026, shows a remarkable prominence releasing streams of material that appear to fall back toward the sun as coronal rain.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
When the plane’s nose falls back toward the runway, the plane catches fire and goes up in flames.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 8 June 2026
Highs will fall back into the 70s this weekend.
—Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 8 June 2026
The first video, captured on May 22, 2026, shows a remarkable prominence releasing streams of material that appear to fall back toward the sun as coronal rain.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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The ceasefire in the MOU extends to a halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, requiring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon under a final deal that Trump hopes to reach within 60 days.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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Garcia said some students have disengaged from campus life or withdrawn from classes altogether.—
Valentina Toro,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The officer retreated and fired several shots, killing the dog and injuring its owner, who was trying to secure the animal, police said.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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But retreating indoors can come at a cost.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt said cornerback Kelee Ringo shouted out a signal to him before the snap, and Hunt dropped back into coverage and snagged Dalton’s throw.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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An unidentified man wearing blue basketball shorts and a Knicks hat was spotted in a video obtained by ABC News getting down on one knee, pulling out a red box and holding up a ring.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
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There’s a growing movement to bring back small rituals, like lighting candles, using cloth napkins, pulling out the good china on a random weeknight, and saying a toast before the first bite.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
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From a box-score perspective, Brind’Amour’s case ranks similarly to that of Rick Tocchet, Bill Guerin and Ray Whitney, who are all unlikely to be inducted given other sure-thing candidates about to retire around the league.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Silverton has trailblazed a career through the food industry, but has no plans of retiring anytime soon.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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