as in to withdraw
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
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Recent Examples of fall back
Every day since then, the ball raises halfway up the mast at 12:55 p.m., reaches the top at 12:58 p.m. and falls back down exactly at 1:00 p.m., delighting visitors even today.
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Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
Last Thursday, Bitcoin tumbled 3.6%, falling back below $100,000, on the news that the Federal Reserve will approve fewer interest rate cuts than the market expected next year.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
If the front-office plan is to fall back on what’s comfortable, play things safe and fill out the edges, there’s a risk that comes with it, especially when other teams actively get better.
—Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
After reaching this low, rates started to creep back up, peaking at 6.79 percent in early November before falling back down.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall back 
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
Last Thursday, Bitcoin tumbled 3.6%, falling back below $100,000, on the news that the Federal Reserve will approve fewer interest rate cuts than the market expected next year.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
If the front-office plan is to fall back on what’s comfortable, play things safe and fill out the edges, there’s a risk that comes with it, especially when other teams actively get better.
—Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
After reaching this low, rates started to creep back up, peaking at 6.79 percent in early November before falling back down.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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Multiple tight ends are key in this offense, and Danny Lewis withdrawing from the portal was an underrated development.Kennington Smith III, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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Duncan even contemplated mounting a third-party challenge to Trump as a No Labels candidate last year before withdrawing his name from consideration in March.Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Another set of images capture the charred aftermath of houses that burned along the Pacific Coast Highway, and the remains of Malibu homes where the Palisades fire had retreated.Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 10 Jan. 2025
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The federal police eventually retreated without arresting the impeached president.Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Los Angeles Rams defense appeared to be content to drop back in coverage and prevent San Francisco’s Brock Purdy from completing a Hail Mary on the final play of their Thursday night game on Dec. 12.Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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In the first quarter that day, Darnold dropped back and attempted a slant to Jefferson.Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Around that same time, Reigns pulled out of WrestleMania 36 due to his concerns about exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic.Katie Mannion, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Late last week, first Neos pulled out of the talks and soon after the conservatives and Social Democrats announced the talks had failed.Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That was the first season after Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana retired.Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025
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David Letterman, who was passed over for the job in favor of Leno when Johnny Carson retired in 1993, received the honor in 2017.Paul Grein, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near fall back
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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