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
  • On Monday, Chinese manufacturer Kepuni Holdings withdrew plans for a Nasdaq listing that had been expected to raise $15 million.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • D’Agostini later withdrew his support, sought the appointment himself and announced plans to run for sheriff in 2028.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of withdrew
Verb
  • As the Laurentide retreated across the plateau, tundra plants colonized the newly bare ground.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As the world has become more and more connected, governments have retreated from global problems.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • Henderson had retired from the sheriff’s office about five months before the crash and was working as a special deputy directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during graduation.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI brought GPT-4o back following the backlash but retired it in February 2026.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of retired
Verb
  • Alabama hasn't dropped back-to-back regular season games since 2007.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Falcons remains winless at home this season and has now dropped back-to-back games for the second time this year.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dropped back
Verb
  • During the inspection, DeWitt pulled out a frame packed with capped honey.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Johnson pushed back, but Inaba pulled out the rulebook and read the definition of a lift.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 20 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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