falling back

verb

present participle of fall back
as in retreating
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

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 falling back Brent crude peaked at nearly $106 per barrel yesterday before falling back to $102 this morning. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 One video showed Super Heavy falling back toward Earth, while the other two revealed Ship powering its way toward orbit, its six Raptor engines glowing yellow-orange with the effort. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026 And after falling back slightly this week, bond yields are on the rise again. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 Bond yields offered some slack on Tuesday after falling back from their highest levels in years or even decades. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The risk of debris falling back to Earth and harming someone or something is slim but not zero. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 The youngest brother of Daniel, William and Alec Baldwin characterized at least part of his falling back from Hollywood as a way to free himself from industry expectations. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Elder looked like a Cy Young candidate alongside Sale early on before falling back to Earth. — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Fowler surged into the lead — briefly — at 11 under before falling back to the pack. — CBS News, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling back
  1. retreating
  2. withdrawing
  3. pulling out
  4. dropping back
  5. backing away
  6. retiring
Verb
  • The pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
    — Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In a world riven by democratic backsliding and polluted with AI slop, there’s something seductive about the idea of retreating to a wild, unnavigable place where no one can follow you—because you’ll be submerged up to your eyeballs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • Bass pushed for a bill in the state Legislature that would have reduced taxes on apartment buildings but ended up withdrawing it.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • San Antonio police have advised bank customers to stay alert when withdrawing cash and watch for anyone who may be following them.
    — Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of withdrawing
Verb
  • As good as Oliver Stone is at pulling out incredible performances from his male stars, the same isn’t always true for his leading ladies.
    — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Stack slices together to make your own roll-ups, perfect for pulling out between classes.
    — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of pulling out
Verb
  • With 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 75% of his passes this season, Orange High’s junior quarterback has rarely faltered when dropping back.
    — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Despite dropping back in the final kilometers, overall leader Tadej Pogačar limited his time losses by driving the main chase group across the line.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dropping back
Verb
  • The mission will arrive at the moons in 2027, spend two years mapping Phobos and selecting a landing site for sampling before backing away to observe Deimos.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of literally backing away, in this example, the person metaphorically backs away by completing the session and exiting as expected without further conflict.
    — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of backing away
Verb
  • Officials would also have to consider compensation for carriage owners and assistance with retiring horses, but no payouts are guaranteed.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The retiring congressman has at times bucked House Democratic leadership in voting with Republicans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of retiring

Browse Nearby Words

falling away
falling back
falling back on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Falling back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20back. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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