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
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
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
But fast forward two months and Windows 10 has recovered around 3% as Windows 11 has dropped back down towards 34%.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
At times, James also looked confused as to whether to push ahead or drop back and protect his defence, which contributed to Villa’s midfield dictating proceedings.
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Sam Lee, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
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
But fast forward two months and Windows 10 has recovered around 3% as Windows 11 has dropped back down towards 34%.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
At times, James also looked confused as to whether to push ahead or drop back and protect his defence, which contributed to Villa’s midfield dictating proceedings.
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop back
Verb
-
Zoom in: The decision came shortly after USAGM special adviser Kari Lake withdrew an order to terminate the 2025 funding grant for VOA's sister broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.—
Sara Fischer,
Axios,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The race attracted serious fundraising from Democrats, and was in the spotlight after President Trump withdrew Rep. Elise Stefanik's name from consideration for U.N. ambassador to avoid risking further depleting his party's already narrow majority.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The document laid out plans for the Polish army to retreat westward to the Vistula River, which runs through the center of Poland, in case of an invasion from the east by Russia.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
But Newsom appears to have fully retreated on trans-inclusive athletics, conceding to right-wing propagandists Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage without a fuss in the first two episodes of Newsom’s podcast earlier this month.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Gently wake them up when the alarm goes off, encourage them to stay awake for a few minutes before falling back asleep.—
David Metzger,
Parents,
3 Apr. 2025
-
If only the Niners had that kind of depth to fall back upon.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
An upholstered ottoman need not be pulling out all the stops—sometimes a small, simple detail will set it apart.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
1 Apr. 2025
-
So pull out the beach towels, set up a cocktail bar and put on some soothing ocean noises.—
Maggie Griswold,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After all, the 19-year-old figure skater retired from the sport three years ago, only returning to training again a year ago and international competition six months ago.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Then, Judge made a special tribute to Brett by imitating the retired player’s flex move after the chanting, a tribute Judge has done in the years since Brett retired.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20back. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share