as in withdrawn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 city’s vacancy rate has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, and new housing construction is at its weakest pace in a decade, the report added.
—
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
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
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallen back
Verb
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Some warning signs to watch out for include your child being more socially withdrawn, spending more time on electronic devices or their grades dropping.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Or if a you’re awarded a German prize that is swiftly withdrawn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 84-year-old eventually retired from acting and chose a quiet life away from Hollywood.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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The town council conducted a nationwide search and decided the best candidate was a local resident who had retired from the police department.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The victim retreated into the gym, and the suspect left the scene, according to police.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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No longer a complete unknown wrapped in the Bob Dylan mystique, Chalamet has energized a balky awards circuit whose stars and filmmakers years ago had retreated from the rigors of self-promotion, with some still preferring to avoid it.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Facing third-and-goal with just under three minutes remaining, Purdy dropped back, went through his first two progressions, stepped forward in the pocket and finally found McCaffrey streaking into the end zone ahead of linebacker Nakobe Dean.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The suspect started to run away, then pulled out a gun and fired at the homeowner before continuing to flee, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Pullouts feature an actual mattress that’s, well, pulled out from the sofa in some way.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fallen back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallen%20back. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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