fall back

British  

verb

1. to recede or retreat

2. to have recourse (to)

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noun

1. a retreat

2. a reserve, esp money, that can be called upon in need

3. 1. anything to which one can have recourse as a second choice

   2. ( as modifier )

      a fall-back position

fall back Idioms  

1. Give ground, retreat, as in The troops fell back before the relentless enemy assault , or He stuck to his argument, refusing to fall back . [c. 1600]

2. Recede, as in The waves fell back from the shore . [c. 1800]

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Example Sentences

The ONS said supermarket sales fell back from January, while household goods retailers saw demand dampened due to February's wet weather.

From BBC

While the impact on growth may be relatively modest if energy prices start to fall back soon, even in that scenario inflation rates are set to jump, according to the new projections.

From The Wall Street Journal

Three times in the preceding two weeks, the Dow crossed the mark during the day but fell back by the close.

From The Wall Street Journal

Crude prices fell back slightly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. might “unsanction” Iranian oil that is already at sea, in an interview with Fox Business.

From Barron's

Crude prices fell back slightly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. might “unsanction” Iranian oil that is already at sea, in an interview with Fox Business.

From Barron's

Related Words

• recede
• withdraw