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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall back
Although it’s set in the future, society has really fallen back into a feudal state, which suggested to me period paintings.
—
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Ukraine will have to reduce the complexity of its defensive campaign and fall back along lines deeper within its own territory.
—Benjamin Jensen, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Spring forward, fall back—the biannual ritual of changing our clocks for Daylight Saving Time (DST) can feel like an unnecessary hassle.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Kyle Busch led for a decent chunk in the second half of the race but fell back in the closing laps after his right rear got messed up.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall back
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Ukraine will have to reduce the complexity of its defensive campaign and fall back along lines deeper within its own territory.
—Benjamin Jensen, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Spring forward, fall back—the biannual ritual of changing our clocks for Daylight Saving Time (DST) can feel like an unnecessary hassle.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Kyle Busch led for a decent chunk in the second half of the race but fell back in the closing laps after his right rear got messed up.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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Kim was scheduled to face Eduarda Moura in her UFC debut in November 2023, but the former withdrew.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Bell / Getty Images Stock futures initially surged on the report, then retreated.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
12 Mar. 2025
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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
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Pressing from the front, dropping back to help his defence and running beyond City’s last line were all on show on Sunday, making Szobozslai a strong contender for player of the match.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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His struggles continued at the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets in 2024, and Cartaya was dropped back down to Tulsa midway through the season.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Rockwool Denmark retired on Day 1 after a collision during the opening race.—
Christina House,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2025
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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
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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