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

When SpaceX suffered an explosion in September 2016, it took 15 months to return to service - and SpaceX had other pads to fall back on.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 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

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

I don’t have a self-defining talent like Bekah or even something I stuck with long enough to fall back on.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy