Synonyms of falling back

falling back

verb

present participle of fall back

as in retreating

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

• retreating
• withdrawing
• pulling out
• dropping back
• backing away
• giving way
• losing ground
• retiring
• giving ground
• receding
• fleeing
• evacuating
• flying
• pulling away
• climbing down
• backing down
• bowing out
• leaving
• shrinking
• flinching
• recoiling
• chickening (out)
• detaching
• departing
• going
• backtracking
• abandoning
• disengaging
• disentangling
• vacating
• backpedaling
• quitting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advancing
• facing
• confronting
• daring
• defying
• braving
• brazening
• breasting
• outbraving
• bearding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of falling back

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

The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly jumped above $90 in the morning before falling back below $87. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

The youngest brother of Daniel, William and Alec Baldwin characterized at least part of his falling back from Hollywood as a way to free himself from industry expectations. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Elder looked like a Cy Young candidate alongside Sale early on before falling back to Earth. — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Some of that material condensed into tiny droplets called spherules, which spread around the planet before falling back through Earth's atmosphere at several miles per second. — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Fowler surged into the lead — briefly — at 11 under before falling back to the pack. — CBS News, 31 July 2026

That was his life for more than a decade — sometimes in work or a relationship but always falling back to addiction. — Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Now, the murder rate is falling back in line with other crime trends, many of which are also among the lowest ever recorded. — James Tuttle, The Conversation, 9 July 2026