drop back
verb
dropped back; dropping back; drops back
1
: retreat
2
: to move straight back from the line of scrimmage
the quarterback drops back to pass
Examples of drop back in a Sentence
a change in the wind direction forced the firefighters to drop back
Recent Examples on the Web
On third down, Maye dropped back to pass, felt pressure and scrambled up the middle for 16 yards.
—
February 9, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Late in the third quarter, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye dropped back to pass, looking for answers.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Sunday will bring a lot of sunshine, but the temperature will reach only about 17 degrees before dropping back into the single digits Sunday night.
—Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Gold’s price rallied near $5,600 per ounce in the morning before suddenly and briefly dropping back below $5,200.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
February 9, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Late in the third quarter, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye dropped back to pass, looking for answers.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Sunday will bring a lot of sunshine, but the temperature will reach only about 17 degrees before dropping back into the single digits Sunday night.
—Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Gold’s price rallied near $5,600 per ounce in the morning before suddenly and briefly dropping back below $5,200.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drop back
Cite this Entry
“Drop back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop%20back. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
