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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall back
Starting in June 2024, however, the number of people entering across the U.S.-Mexico border fell back to normal levels when the Biden administration implemented the Secure the Border rule, which suspends asylum applications at the border when crossings reach a seven-day average of 2,500.
—
Jennifer Van Hook, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
The onus would fall back on state judges to imprison him.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Read Next Miami Heat Heat falls back to .500 after blowout loss to Cavaliers.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
This cooler gas then falls back toward the center of the galactic cluster, feeding the supermassive black hole and triggering further outbursts.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fall back 
Jennifer Van Hook, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
The onus would fall back on state judges to imprison him.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Read Next Miami Heat Heat falls back to .500 after blowout loss to Cavaliers.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
This cooler gas then falls back toward the center of the galactic cluster, feeding the supermassive black hole and triggering further outbursts.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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Musk withdrew the suit in June 2024, then revived it in August 2024 under similar complaints.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
11 Feb. 2025
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Budget officials withdrew that OMB memo two days later.—
Jake Pearson,
ProPublica,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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With their press broken, Newcastle had to retreat to their 5-4-1 shape but became fatigued making so many recovery runs.—
Liam Tharme,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
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The initiative follows widespread backlash against major retailers and corporations accused of retreating from DEI commitments after the Trump administration took steps to dismantle federal DEI programs.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The guard tried to stop the fare evader, who became irate and pulled out a boxcutter, slashing the guard across the face.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2025
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Nevertheless, Kelsea Ballerini pulled out all the stops to recruit the contestant likeliest to win a Kelsea Ballerini Lookalike Contest.—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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How to Watch Ohio State at USC: Date: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 Time: 9:00 PM EST Channel: FOX Stream: Fubo (Try for free) USC suffered its first conference loss last weekend, falling 76-69 to Iowa in the game where the Hawkeyes retired Caitlin Clark's jersey.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
9 Feb. 2025
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Under this plan the teachers could retire to comfortable retirements in the Carolinas and Florida while the rest of us try to figure out how to pay our BGE bills.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 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 21 Feb. 2025.
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