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
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Recent Examples of falling back
The Twin Cities will stay mild Monday night, with temperatures only falling back to around freezing.
—
Chris Shaffer, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
The rocket reached an altitude of 224 miles (360 km) before falling back to Earth.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Despite a calamitous financial outlook, its share price has shown resiliency — soaring to an all-time high of almost $500 last month before falling back to around $422 this morning after the Q4 reveal.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Grande has previously shared her desire to return to theater after falling back in love with acting through the filming of Wicked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Daily high temperatures will gradually increase early in the week before falling back to near freezing by the weekend.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Jan. 2026
Here are some tips for falling back in love with books.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 8 Jan. 2026
The 73-year-old former professional boxer and film star was served an eviction notice last month, People reported, after allegedly falling back on his rent to the tune of $59,100.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Chris Shaffer, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
The rocket reached an altitude of 224 miles (360 km) before falling back to Earth.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Despite a calamitous financial outlook, its share price has shown resiliency — soaring to an all-time high of almost $500 last month before falling back to around $422 this morning after the Q4 reveal.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Grande has previously shared her desire to return to theater after falling back in love with acting through the filming of Wicked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Jan. 2026
Be brave, and resist falling back on English Don’t fear being laughed at or scolded for speaking imperfectly, said Massimo Macchiavello, the marketing manager for Posta, a destination management company in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Daily high temperatures will gradually increase early in the week before falling back to near freezing by the weekend.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Jan. 2026
Here are some tips for falling back in love with books.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 8 Jan. 2026
The 73-year-old former professional boxer and film star was served an eviction notice last month, People reported, after allegedly falling back on his rent to the tune of $59,100.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling back
Verb
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In the third quarter, after taking a tumble, Green reached out and grabbed the ankle of a retreating Jabari Smith Jr.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
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However, the ice sheet has been retreating from the grounding line in the most vulnerable regions at a rate of more than 170 square miles per year.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Arguing that having a public apology circulating online would be unfair to their client, his attorneys instead handed Rose a paper note containing the apology before quickly withdrawing it.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
And naive, especially after the Soviet Union spent a decade fighting in Afghanistan to put communist allies in charge, before withdrawing its troops in 1989 amid failure.—
Jill Lawrence,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Snook, a 10-year veteran of the Delaware State Police, was working an overtime shift at the DMV when Rose entered the building and sat in the waiting area for several minutes before pulling out a gun.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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This time, instead of pulling out another clever weapon, Peter walks straight towards his partner, insisting that Hagan has co-opted him for a dirty cause.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jefferson Lerma performed reasonably well after dropping back from midfield, is strong in the air and offers experience despite it not being his primary position, but his hamstring injury against Burnley on February 11 meant even fewer options.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Temperatures remain steady in the upper 30s and lower 40s through sunset, before dropping back into the upper 20s and lower 30s as the forecast dries out overnight.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rather than backing away from these practices, the administration has now publicly doubled down.—
Amanda Cats-Baril,
Twin Cities,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The hopes of people opposed to ICE’s plans rested on the property owners of the warehouses backing away from the deals — but that has failed to happen.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Liu won the 2025 World title last March, less than a year after returning to the sport after retiring days after the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
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The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falling back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20back. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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