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

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling back
  1. retreating
  2. withdrawing
  3. pulling out
  4. dropping back
  5. backing away
  6. retiring
Verb
  • Achord is in the huddle every play before retreating to the sideline.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Skywatchers will not only see the moon change color, but also witness the sharp, curved edge of Earth’s shadow steadily advancing across — and later retreating from — the lunar surface.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • The scheme reportedly involved depositing checks from accounts with insufficient funds, then withdrawing the temporarily available money, leaving the banks to absorb the losses once the checks bounced, court records show.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Numerous energy projects end up withdrawing entirely from the process.
    — Ray Fernandez, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of withdrawing
Verb
  • Just as Alcaraz took the long view with his wrist injury, pulling out of tournaments early and ramping up his comeback slowly, for Sinner, there is no reward in risk.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Some winemakers are reacting by pulling out vineyards, changing their grape varieties, moving further north or introducing irrigation systems.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of pulling out
Verb
  • The loss snapped Miami’s seven-game unbeaten streak in league play and was the team’s third loss in a row after dropping back-to-back games in the Leagues Cup tournament.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
  • But first, dropping back from a low zone along the right sideline, Pettus snared a deep pass intended for Mack Hollins amid a crowd of players.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of dropping back
Verb
  • The mission will arrive at the moons in 2027, spend two years mapping Phobos and selecting a landing site for sampling before backing away to observe Deimos.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of literally backing away, in this example, the person metaphorically backs away by completing the session and exiting as expected without further conflict.
    — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of backing away
Verb
  • Cierria Davison took a leap of faith to start Over the Top after retiring early from Walmart during the pandemic.
    — Leondra Head, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • More American women are retiring solo than ever before and redefining what financial independence looks like.
    — Angie O’Leary, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of retiring

Browse Nearby Words

falling away
falling back
falling back on
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Cite this Entry

“Falling back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20back. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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