FALLING BACK Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 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 Some of that material condensed into tiny droplets called spherules, which spread around the planet before falling back through Earth's atmosphere at several miles per second. — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Fowler surged into the lead — briefly — at 11 under before falling back to the pack. — CBS News, 31 July 2026 That was his life for more than a decade — sometimes in work or a relationship but always falling back to addiction. — Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Now, the murder rate is falling back in line with other crime trends, many of which are also among the lowest ever recorded. — James Tuttle, The Conversation, 9 July 2026 SpaceX posted huge gains after a record-breaking IPO on June 12, briefly surpassing Amazon and Microsoft in market capitalization, before falling back below both as sentiment cooled. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 23 June 2026 Goldberg said as the audience cheered over the news, eventually falling back in her chair in shock. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling back

Verb

James survived the shooting, but is shown retreating back to his car while losing blood.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
The outlet claimed that, while Beatrice was focused on supporting her family, Edo was retreating into his work.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of retreating

Verb

Trump announced last month that there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, with Israeli forces withdrawing as Hamas disarms and an International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the enclave.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
The list includes measures such as an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing military forces and permanently ending the war.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

Republican Jim Shaw injected humor into his remarks, pulling out a Florida flag while distancing himself from substance use.

— Joan Murray, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
But the timing of it is interesting, because that 2022 offseason has become a flashpoint in autopsies of Yzerman’s tenure, with some actually viewing it as an example of the general manager getting impatient and pulling out of the rebuild too soon.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of pulling out

Verb

But first, dropping back from a low zone along the right sideline, Pettus snared a deep pass intended for Mack Hollins amid a crowd of players.

— Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Downs is everywhere As expected, rookie defensive back Caleb Downs has been moved all over the field, mostly playing nickel cornerback but also dropping back to play deep safety.

— Jon Machota, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of dropping back

Verb

And yet, for the first time in more than a century, the United States is not backing away.

— Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Zoom isn’t backing away from traditional commercials, says Storin, but sees a need to shift to new tactics as digitally-savvy consumers discover services, products and brands in different ways.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 July 2026

Definition of backing away

Verb

That work is arguably getting harder as chief executives stay in the job longer, causing their possible successors to get restless; some are bolting to jobs elsewhere or retiring themselves.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Mogg is a former PGA Tour player, the world’s highest level of competitive golf, and since retiring has coached players on the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Korn Ferry Tours to more than 30 championships.

— Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of retiring

Browse Nearby Words

falling away

falling back

falling back on

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“Falling back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20back. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of falling back

verb

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