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

With United's attackers given more freedom, they often seem to be looking to solutions during the game more reactively compared to the more repeatable methods of creation Maresca can fall back on.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Like many South Africans, most workers in the area live hand-to-mouth, with no savings to fall back on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

The most obvious drawback is that you’ll have less money to fall back on.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

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

Quackenbush, I heard, had two possible appointments to the Military Academy, with carefully prepared positions in V-12 and dentistry school to fall back on if necessary.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles