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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fell back
Verb
-
In January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger also withdrew from West African regional bloc Ecowas, having earlier formed their own Alliance of Sahel States grouping.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025 -
Trump withdrew from the council during his first term, but former President Joe Biden signed the United States back on after his 2020 victory.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lady Annabel wore her privilege lightly, and in later years retreated to her home in Richmond, just outside London, enjoying her children, grandchildren and dogs away from the spotlight.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Following the release of his 1996 solo project Euphoria, Vincent retreated from public life.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Veteran journalist Deborah Norville — who retired from Inside Edition in May after serving as the anchor of the news magazine for 30 years — will also be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The legendary Nick Saban retired from coaching following the conclusion of the 2023 season, handing the keys to the Alabama Crimson Tide program to Kalen DeBoer after leading the team to six national championships during his tenure.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
McNeill dropped back and scrambled for a few seconds before finding Kash Kelly in the end zone for a touchdown.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
With space, Alejado dropped back and quickly spotted another wide-open target, Nick Cenacle.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lamarr said Wilks then pulled out a firearm and struck the off-duty officer with it, an act also captured on camera.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
In do-or-die Game 5, Milwaukee pulled out the victory at home.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Fell back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell%20back. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share