fallback

1 of 2

noun

fall·​back ˈfȯl-ˌbak 

1

: something on which one can fall back : reserve

—often used attributively

a fallback career

a fallback position

2

: a falling back : retreat

3

: something that falls back

the fallback from an explosion

fall back

2 of 2

verb

fell back; fallen back; falling back; falls back

intransitive verb

: retreat, recede

Phrases

fall back on or fall back upon

: to have recourse to

had to fall back on their reserves

Synonyms

Verb

• back away
• drop back
• pull out
• recede
• retire
• retreat
• withdraw

Examples of fallback in a Sentence

Verb

resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In times of uncertainty, nostalgia seems to be the fallback. —Stéphane Jg Girod, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

But litigation was only the fallback, in case the firm failed to find a way to get Trump’s attention. —Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025

Verb

The spacecraft, along with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, are now falling back to Earth. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025

Instead, the stage remained in orbit for nearly three weeks before falling back into the atmosphere on February 19, scattering debris fragments at several locations in Poland. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fallback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

fall back

verb

: retreat entry 2 sense 1