as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
a change in the wind direction forced the firefighters to drop back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of drop back
Daniels dropped back to pass and lasered the ball to Zach Ertz, his trusty tight end, whose second touchdown of the night was the game-winner.
—
Scott Thompson, Fox News, 30 Dec. 2024
Adult cougar population estimates hovered just under 2,000 in 2004, slowly climbed to just below 3,000 between 2014 and 2018, and dropped back to around 2,500 recently, according to a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources datasheet.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
Chloe Kim drops back in after break Chloe Kim has taken a full season off from competition after each of her Olympic halfpipe titles in 2018 and 2022, and each time quickly returned to the top of snowboarding.
—Nick Zaccardi, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped back to 4.65% from 4.79% late Tuesday, a considerable move.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Scott Thompson, Fox News, 30 Dec. 2024
Adult cougar population estimates hovered just under 2,000 in 2004, slowly climbed to just below 3,000 between 2014 and 2018, and dropped back to around 2,500 recently, according to a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources datasheet.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
Chloe Kim drops back in after break Chloe Kim has taken a full season off from competition after each of her Olympic halfpipe titles in 2018 and 2022, and each time quickly returned to the top of snowboarding.
—Nick Zaccardi, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped back to 4.65% from 4.79% late Tuesday, a considerable move.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop back
Verb
-
Kim was scheduled to face Eduarda Moura in her UFC debut in November 2023, but the former withdrew.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Bell / Getty Images Stock futures initially surged on the report, then retreated.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
12 Mar. 2025
-
So the women’s struggle has not only forced the Islamic Republic to retreat, but also created cracks in the patriarchal structures of Iranian society.—
Narges Mohammadi,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Less hiring will hurt many vulnerable older workers, who often keep working to supplement limited retirement savings, but also Black and Latino workers as well as disabled workers, who also have few savings to fall back on.—
Christian Weller,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
-
The deceleration is encouraging after fears in recent months that inflation had become entrenched and wasn’t falling back to target.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Here come the Royals When the A’s pulled out, Kansas City moved quickly to retain its major-league status.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Gaga has typically been the lead on their duets, but here, Bennett pulls out his best vocal performance on the album.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Rockwool Denmark retired on Day 1 after a collision during the opening race.—
Christina House,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Kyle McKinley has replaced retiring coach Don Erickson, who led the team for the last 31 years.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20back. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share