FALLBACK Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

fall back

verb

Definition of fall back

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

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

Verb

Some job seekers are pushing back against AI interviews in hiring — refusing them, withdrawing as candidates, or even blacklisting employers from future consideration.

— Sarah Jackson Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
One candidate for the job, Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg, publicly withdrew from consideration last week.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of withdraw

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

The kind of weird minutiae that only nerds pull out of old archives.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Incumbent presidents’ parties usually lose ground in the midterms, but Trump has pulled out the stops to try to keep that from happening this time.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of pull out

Verb

Dillard taught for more than 20 years at Wesleyan University before retiring in 2002.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
But Oprah Winfrey just shopped among others, recalls Eddie’s grandson, Mitchell, who worked at the store for 30 years and is now retired in Wellington.

— Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of retire

Browse Nearby Words

fall away

fall back

fall back on

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“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fall back

verb

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