as in withdrawn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
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Recent Examples of fallen back
The Utes have fallen back from their original jump now that their UCLA win isn’t valuable anymore.
—
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
By July, sentiment had recovered, and stock market volatility (the VIX) had fallen back well below the 5-year and 10-year averages.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
But as the 21-year-old surges, another Red Sox outfielder has fallen back into a brutal slump.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
By the mid-1980s, inflation had fallen back into the low single digits.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
By July, sentiment had recovered, and stock market volatility (the VIX) had fallen back well below the 5-year and 10-year averages.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
But as the 21-year-old surges, another Red Sox outfielder has fallen back into a brutal slump.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
By the mid-1980s, inflation had fallen back into the low single digits.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallen back
Verb
-
Volunteers became depressed, irritable, anxious, and withdrawn.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Jeffrey Rignall died in 2000 In the wake of Gacy’s attack, Rignall became depressed and withdrawn, suffering from bouts of vomiting and losing nearly 40 pounds, per The Courier Journal.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Veteran journalist Deborah Norville — who retired from Inside Edition in May after serving as the anchor of the news magazine for 30 years — will also be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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The legendary Nick Saban retired from coaching following the conclusion of the 2023 season, handing the keys to the Alabama Crimson Tide program to Kalen DeBoer after leading the team to six national championships during his tenure.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lady Annabel wore her privilege lightly, and in later years retreated to her home in Richmond, just outside London, enjoying her children, grandchildren and dogs away from the spotlight.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Following the release of his 1996 solo project Euphoria, Vincent retreated from public life.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
McNeill dropped back and scrambled for a few seconds before finding Kash Kelly in the end zone for a touchdown.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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With space, Alejado dropped back and quickly spotted another wide-open target, Nick Cenacle.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lamarr said Wilks then pulled out a firearm and struck the off-duty officer with it, an act also captured on camera.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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In do-or-die Game 5, Milwaukee pulled out the victory at home.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fallen back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallen%20back. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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