as in withdrawing
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
a change in the wind direction forced the firefighters to drop back
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Recent Examples of dropping back
The Longhorns are the one team in the Final Four that has had a two-game losing streak, dropping back-to-back games to LSU and South Carolina in mid-January.
—
David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Last week, the quarterback shared a video of himself dropping back to throw on his official Instagram account.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Brent crude oil prices on Thursday briefly topped $119 per barrel before dropping back down.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2026
Tree pollen in Austin is forecast to be very high on Wednesday, then climb to extreme levels Thursday through Saturday, before dropping back to very high on Sunday and Monday.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Jefferson Lerma performed reasonably well after dropping back from midfield, is strong in the air and offers experience despite it not being his primary position, but his hamstring injury against Burnley on February 11 meant even fewer options.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
As rain begins, temperatures are quickly dropping back into the upper 30s and lower 40s.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 26 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
David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Last week, the quarterback shared a video of himself dropping back to throw on his official Instagram account.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Brent crude oil prices on Thursday briefly topped $119 per barrel before dropping back down.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2026
Tree pollen in Austin is forecast to be very high on Wednesday, then climb to extreme levels Thursday through Saturday, before dropping back to very high on Sunday and Monday.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Jefferson Lerma performed reasonably well after dropping back from midfield, is strong in the air and offers experience despite it not being his primary position, but his hamstring injury against Burnley on February 11 meant even fewer options.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
As rain begins, temperatures are quickly dropping back into the upper 30s and lower 40s.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 26 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropping back
Verb
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Daines later said withdrawing earlier could have enticed a prominent Democrat like Tester to enter the race.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
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Chock and Bates decided not to pursue a fourth straight ice dance world championship, joining Olympic teammate Alysa Liu in withdrawing from the worlds, a common decision for skaters who compete at the Winter Games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ndiaye also declined to clear the ball, instead trying to thread a pass to retreating teammate Jake Dengler inside the 18-yard box.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
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Police said security footage from the store shows customers staring and retreating before 53-year-old Tammy Canut of North Huntingdon walks into the frame naked.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday will be noticeably cooler, with highs falling back into the 40s and low 50s and drier conditions returning late.—
Joseph Dames,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Blue light suppresses melatonin and makes falling back asleep significantly harder.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Michigan and Illinois met in the semifinals in 1989, with the Wolverines pulling out a two-point win in a game that featured 33 lead changes.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Clearly, Jenner is known for pulling out all the stops for Halloween.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In that interaction, forehead-to-forehead with Ayers and then slowly backing away, back to his bench, Hurley never blinked.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
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As officers yell for Martinez to stop, Stevens pulls his weapon and rapidly fires three shots through the window before quickly backing away.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conner Phillips walked Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O'Hearn before retiring three straight for his first career save.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Since retiring from a 25-year career in the Army in 2016, Bennett has been active in local government, first serving as the chief innovation officer for the City of Kansas City until 2019.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dropping back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropping%20back. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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