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fell back

verb

past tense of fall back
as in withdrew
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell back
  1. withdrew
  2. retreated
  3. retired
  4. dropped back
  5. pulled out
Verb
  • Private developers in at least 11 communities withdrew from prospective deals with DHS.
    — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The filing follows the early conclusion of its 2026 season in Indianapolis after its primary financial backer withdrew support.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of withdrew
Verb
  • Though gas prices retreated somewhat in the late spring and early summer, the dip was short lived.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • After a brief standoff with the buzzing, metal alien, the bobcat carefully retreated, sidestepping into an adjacent empty room.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • After a 3-2 called third strike with two out to Conine in the ninth was overturned on the ABS review, Zeferjahn retired Otto Lopez on a flyout to right.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Bob Green, now retired, was the first detective assigned to Erica’s case.
    — Yana Johnson, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of retired
Verb
  • In his last full season in 2024, Burrow dropped back a team-record 725 times.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • With nine seconds to play, Underwood dropped back to pass, scrambled and heaved a last-ditch pass that sailed out of bounds.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of dropped back
Verb
  • After nearly two centuries, the bells stopped and Patrol trucks pulled out of their firehouses for the last time.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Last week, the Bulldogs pulled out an overtime win against South Sumter.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of pulled out
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.

Browse Nearby Words

fell away
fell back
fell back on
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Cite this Entry

“Fell back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell%20back. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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