FALL BACK
Dictionary entry overview: What does fall back mean?
• FALL BACK (verb)
The verb FALL BACK has 6 senses:
1. fall backwards and down
2. hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
3. move back and away from
4. retreat
5. have recourse to
6. go back to bad behavior
Familiarity information: FALL BACK used as a verb is common.
Dictionary entry details
• FALL BACK (verb)
Meaning:
Fall backwards and down
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "fall back" is one way to...):
lean back; recline (move the upper body backwards and down)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Meaning:
Hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Synonyms:
lag; fall back; fall behind; dawdle
Hypernyms (to "fall back" is one way to...):
follow (to travel behind, go after, come after)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fall back"):
drag; drop behind; get behind; hang back; trail (to lag or linger behind)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Meaning:
Move back and away from
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Synonyms:
recede; fall back; retire
Context example:
The enemy fell back
Hypernyms (to "fall back" is one way to...):
draw back; move back; pull away; pull back; recede; retire; retreat; withdraw (pull back or move away or backward)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fall back"):
ebb; ebb away; ebb down; ebb off; ebb out (flow back or recede)
retreat; retrograde (move back)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Retreat
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Synonyms:
fall behind; recede; fall back; drop off; lose
Hypernyms (to "fall back" is one way to...):
regress; retrograde; retrogress (get worse or fall back to a previous condition)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Antonym:
gain (obtain advantages, such as points, etc.)
Meaning:
Have recourse to
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
resort; recur; fall back
Context example:
The government resorted to rationing meat
Hypernyms (to "fall back" is one way to...):
apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Go back to bad behavior
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Synonyms:
recidivate; relapse; retrogress; lapse; regress; fall back
Context example:
Those who recidivate are often minor criminals
Hypernyms (to "fall back" is one way to...):
regress; retrovert; return; revert; turn back (go back to a previous state)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
