fall back on

Idioms  

1. Also, fall back upon. Rely on, have recourse to, as in I fall back on old friends in time of need, or When he lost his job he had to fall back upon his savings. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fall back on

The most obvious drawback is that you’ll have less money to fall back on.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

But at least Germany had the safety net of penalties, and could fall back on a perfect 100% World Cup shootout record of played four, won four.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

And now, when Smith doesn’t get a call, he has ABS to fall back on.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

You can’t fall back on that money in an emergency like you could with a retirement account.

From Barron's ● May 28, 2026

From that time on, this was how she ended every one of her letters to Robbie in France, right through to the last, which arrived just before the order came to fall back on Dunkirk.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan