fall back
Britishverb
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to recede or retreat
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to have recourse (to)
noun
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a retreat
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a reserve, esp money, that can be called upon in need
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anything to which one can have recourse as a second choice
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( as modifier )
a fall-back position
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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]
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Recede, as in The waves fell back from the shore . [c. 1800]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These streams of cooler gas may then fall back toward the galaxy's center and replenish the black hole's fuel supply.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
The most obvious drawback is that you’ll have less money to fall back on.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
We fall back in love with the city through Gail and Otto’s excitement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
“The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding has led energy prices to fall back to just above pre-conflict levels, reducing near-term risks,” the BOE said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
He carefully let the leaves fall back into place.
From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
