as in withdrawn
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
Relevance
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 fallen back
By the time the survivors reached the Great Plains, the Acme and Itala had fallen back, but the Shawmut and two Fords continued to trade leads.
—
Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
The position has now fallen back below the 50-day moving average.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Without those moments, Arsenal have fallen back on set pieces and defending.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 27 May 2026
While Monday’s state average had fallen back slightly, AAA stated there are no signs of price rises slowing, with a 22-cent climb since last week.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
In early trading Monday morning, both indexes had fallen back slightly.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
For instance, the aluminum could have exploded out of the supernova, while the iron — coming from deeper in the star’s core — could have fallen back into the dead star.
—James Dinneen, Quanta Magazine, 2 Mar. 2026
Over the past year, McDonnell has fallen back on the message that the LAPD has a long-standing policy of not getting involved in civil immigration enforcement.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
One thing Grande isn’t showing signs of slowing down on in the near future is acting, having fallen back in love with the artform through her time on the Wicked set.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
The position has now fallen back below the 50-day moving average.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Without those moments, Arsenal have fallen back on set pieces and defending.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 27 May 2026
While Monday’s state average had fallen back slightly, AAA stated there are no signs of price rises slowing, with a 22-cent climb since last week.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
In early trading Monday morning, both indexes had fallen back slightly.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
For instance, the aluminum could have exploded out of the supernova, while the iron — coming from deeper in the star’s core — could have fallen back into the dead star.
—James Dinneen, Quanta Magazine, 2 Mar. 2026
Over the past year, McDonnell has fallen back on the message that the LAPD has a long-standing policy of not getting involved in civil immigration enforcement.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
One thing Grande isn’t showing signs of slowing down on in the near future is acting, having fallen back in love with the artform through her time on the Wicked set.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallen back
Verb
-
In 2009, the company announced that the pledge would be withdrawn.—
Scott Mayerowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
-
Anabelle Jaramillo said the doorbell incident led her to become withdrawn from even close friends.—
Clare Amari,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Kirtley, who retired this week, is the fourth winner of the John Borger award, which was named after the First Amendment attorney who died in 2019.—
Mars King,
Twin Cities,
28 May 2026
-
Minnesota's Byron Buxton homered to lead off the game, but the 25-year-old Sandlin retired 18 consecutive batters — the first White Sox pitcher to retire 18 in a row in his debut since 1920.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Travel stocks — Shares of airlines and cruise operators rose as oil prices retreated on Wednesday.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Wilson told the outlet that Junie knows her way home, adding that the cat could be dropped back off at the family's property.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Some sponsors have pulled out of the celebrations Last year, some big corporations stopped contributing to Pride events.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Calvin Buergey pulled out a $100 bill to buy a bottle of Coke.—
Shannon Pettypiece,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fallen back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallen%20back. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
