# fall back

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fall-back
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to move back or retreat, often because you are being attacked or forced to leave a position.

For teachers: to retreat or withdraw, typically in a military context or under pressure from an opposing force; can also describe a decrease in value or position.

## Examples

- The soldiers had to fall back when they ran out of ammunition.
- As the protesters pushed forward, the police line was forced to fall back toward the station.
- After the initial surge in stock prices, the market began to fall back as investors grew cautious about the upcoming quarterly reports.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The army fell back the hill." but "The army fell back from the hill." — in the sense of retreating, 'fall back' is intransitive and cannot take a direct object.

## Usage notes

- usually used without a direct object when meaning to retreat.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'fall back on', which requires an object and means to use something as a backup plan; 'fall back' is the physical or metaphorical movement away.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.