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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 falls back
When the plane’s nose falls back toward the runway, the plane catches fire and goes up in flames.
—
Francie Ebert, NBC news, 8 June 2026
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
Francie Ebert, NBC news, 8 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falls back
Verb
-
Israel wants to disarm Hezbollah immediately before the Israeli military ends its operations in Lebanon and withdraws its troops from dozens of villages and towns.—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Jasmine withdraws much of the time.—
Larissa MacFarquhar,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Tortorello said O’Mara would say Mass in the morning with the sisters, the students and staff, and also presided over the large, all-school masses and the Kairos retreats.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2026
-
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
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
-
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
-
Social Security's trust fund helps cover the gap between the program's income and benefit obligations, which have outpaced revenue as the baby boom generation retires and the number of beneficiaries grows.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
If a star player, like a LeBron James or a Steph Curry, retires, could such a player be next in line for a Tom Brady-like TV deal with a limited schedule that includes the biggest event on the NBA calendar?—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falls back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falls%20back. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
