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
  • Shortly afterwards, Tyler and one of his co-counsels, Shy Jackson, filed motions to withdraw from the case — an act that was widely viewed as a quiet form of protest.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Cookies should not be set before consent, should appear the moment consent is granted, should persist across the session and should disappear when a visitor withdraws it.
    — Lesa Seibert, Forbes.com, 10 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
  • Language itself was an obsession, with many family dinners ending with Davis pulling out his unabridged Oxford English Dictionary to share the derivation of a word.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Burden told investigators that Conahan took several photos of him before pulling out a rope and tying him to a tree.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of pull out
Verb
  • In 2024, not long after Federer retired, the ATP saw its first top 10 composed entirely of two-handers.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Gaining enough prestige and respect in the industry himself to become the president of the elite organization Stunts Unlimited, Scott retired at 30 in order to direct.
    — William Earl, Variety, 11 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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