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
Verb
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Hyo Joo Kim withdrew before the round after opening with a 68.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026 -
Recently, a developer withdrew a request to rezone a property for a potential data center campus due to a lack of support from Yorkville’s City Council, and the city’s mayor has since indicated future projects are unlikely to secure city approval going forward.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The result of days of negotiations Thursday’s proceedings came to a standstill as lawmakers retreated behind closed doors and Johnson reached for an agreement to resolve the standoff.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Baker retreated up another flight up stairs and called out to Rivera, who was on the floor below his perch.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The leadoff man could have been retired, but Lindor didn’t charge on a ground ball by Teoscar Hernandez, allowing the outfielder enough time to beat the throw at first base.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Pete Alonso hit an RBI double before Smith retired the final two batters with runners at second and third for his fourth save.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the Nissan dropped back, Mulligan signalled once more.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Daily use has dropped back down since the holiday frenzy, according to online news reports.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Major bands including Dropkick Murphys pulled out, leading Collins to cancel all 2026 Punk in the Park dates after the donation was discovered.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Tasks like work extraction are part of a larger framework known as resource distillation, where useful properties are pulled out of imperfect systems.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fell back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fell%20back. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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