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

Newcastle hardly had a stellar season themselves - finishing a disappointing 12th place - but the difference is Spurs have greater revenues to fall back on as they try to bounce back come August.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 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

Then again, it wouldn’t come with millions of dollars to fall back on, either.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

It’s easy enough in theory to fall back on the principle, “well, too bad — let this be a lesson to you!”

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

She picked me up out of bed one morning, then almost let me fall back on the mattress.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper