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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of falls back
The endeavor calls for an untested spacecraft built by the Arizona company Katalyst Space Technologies to rendezvous and dock with Swift — something the observatory was never designed to do — before the observatory falls back to Earth.
—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
19 June 2026
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
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
19 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falls back
Verb
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Hezbollah's leader said Saturday the group would fight on until Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, according to a statement carried in a pro-Hezbollah local media outlet.
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But sporadic clashes have continued, and Hezbollah’s leader said Saturday that the group would continue fighting until Israel withdraws from Lebanon.
Verb
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As natural gas output partially retreats, global seaborne coal shipments to the region have risen, even if China and India are insourcing more domestic coal.
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Exhausted, my mind retreats toward sleep.
Verb
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Indeed, once the former’s economic situation forces them to withdraw from hosting duties just four years before kickoff, the opportunist pulls out every unscrupulous trick in the book to thwart the rival bids from, ironically, Canada and USA.
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Few moments in football (soccer) attract more attention than when a referee pulls out a yellow or red card.
Verb
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After the front, the humidity drops back off the scale, meaning that Thursday and Friday will be very comfy and dry.
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If the opposing quarterback drops back to pass, Downs can be effective, as well.
Verb
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Gibson retires the first two batters before giving up a single to Paul Goldschmidt, followed by the homer barrage.
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Even if Dunker retires as a beloved Steeler, the rivers at that point will likely still be unswimmable after rainstorms.
Cite this Entry
“Falls back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falls%20back. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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