as in withdraws
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 falls back
Indeed, no matter the city problem, Johnson seemingly falls back on claims of a lack of state financial support.
—
Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
The result is a fashion movie that takes the art at its center for granted, a work of radical narrative freedom which falls back on last season’s tropes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
The trajectory The mission is on a flight path that keeps the spacecraft in Earth's gravitational influence past the moon, then falls back to the planet for splashdown.
—Brendan Byrne, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
Really, even if tracking is massively off, and Project Hail Mary falls back to a $50M opening in North America, va bene.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
This means people will lose an hour of sleep, but daylight hours also will increase in Indiana until the clock falls back again in early November.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 7 Mar. 2026
In the process of watering the seed in, some of the loose soil dredged up by the disks falls back into the slits, covering the seed.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
The top-three picks have been determined, and the task falls back to the readers to decide which will take the title in each of 50 categories, from burgers and wings to driveworthy things.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
That water then freezes in the atmosphere and falls back down as snow.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
The result is a fashion movie that takes the art at its center for granted, a work of radical narrative freedom which falls back on last season’s tropes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
The trajectory The mission is on a flight path that keeps the spacecraft in Earth's gravitational influence past the moon, then falls back to the planet for splashdown.
—Brendan Byrne, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
Really, even if tracking is massively off, and Project Hail Mary falls back to a $50M opening in North America, va bene.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
This means people will lose an hour of sleep, but daylight hours also will increase in Indiana until the clock falls back again in early November.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 7 Mar. 2026
In the process of watering the seed in, some of the loose soil dredged up by the disks falls back into the slits, covering the seed.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
The top-three picks have been determined, and the task falls back to the readers to decide which will take the title in each of 50 categories, from burgers and wings to driveworthy things.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
That water then freezes in the atmosphere and falls back down as snow.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falls back
Verb
-
Hezbollah has vowed to fight until the war ends in Lebanon and Israel withdraws its troops that operate across large swaths of the country’s south.—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
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Hezbollah has vowed to fight until the war ends in Lebanon and Israel withdraws its troops who operate across large swaths of the country’s south.—
Nick Duffy,
NBC news,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Her 50-something protagonist, Alan Anderson, and his socially striving wife Vivian, are at least about to start thinking about where their family is going to go, once Alan retreats to a backyard playhouse.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
So, when legal education retreats from explicit commitments to access and representation, the consequences aren't limited to law schools.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Her psychiatrist, having attempted to convince her through facts and comparisons, pulls out a book of poems and reads the end of one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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The discovery comes too late as Thompson pulls out his gun and fires three times into Vance's chest before being shot dead by arriving agents Parker and Timothy McGee (Sean Murray).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the front, the humidity drops back off the scale, meaning that Thursday and Friday will be very comfy and dry.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
If the opposing quarterback drops back to pass, Downs can be effective, as well.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Leatherman retires the winning beach each year and adds it to a hall of fame, ensuring that new beaches have a chance to claim the top spot.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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Superintendent Anthony McConnell — thanked him for preparing them for the job McConnel has and the one Schroeder will assume when Lubelfeld retires June 30.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falls back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falls%20back. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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