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

Theme park fare, especially when aimed at a preschool set, tends to fall back on high-energy, photo-op-based treatments, and while there’s plenty of amped-up goofiness here, “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” understands that’s not why the series was the most-streamed program in 2025, according to data from research firm Nielsen.

From Los Angeles Times

Norris never had that to fall back on.

From Slate

Both horses reared and liked to fall back on Lloyd and Dad.

From Literature

Should the Islamic republic survive the war, it would be able to fall back on a narrative similar to that which followed the 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, known in Iran as the "imposed war".

From Barron's

Honda has popular gas-powered models such as the Pilot and the CR-V to fall back on if their ambitions with Sony fall through.

From Los Angeles Times