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

When imagination fails, the boys fall back on “formats”—copy-and-paste scripts traded online and passed phone to phone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

There may be a time in the World Cup when a low target needs to be chased much quicker and England would have a useful reference point to fall back upon.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

In addition, we would stop ourselves out of this position if the ratios fall back to new lows, below last week’s lows.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

It means that you’re willing to fall back and know that the person will catch you.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

Related Words

• recede
• withdraw