Antonyms for fall back


Grammar : Verb
Spell : fawl
Phonetic Transcription : fɔl


Definition of fall back

Origin :
  • Old English feallan (class VII strong verb; past tense feoll, past participle feallen) "to fall; fail, decay, die," from Proto-Germanic *fallanan (cf. Old Frisian falla, Old Saxon fallan, Dutch vallen, Old Norse falla, Old High German fallan, German fallen), from PIE root *pol- "to fall" (cf. Armenian p'ul "downfall," Lithuanian puola "to fall," Old Prussian aupallai "finds," literally "falls upon").
  • Most of the figurative senses had developed in Middle English. Meaning "to be reduced" (as temperature) is from 1650s. To fall in love is attested from 1520s; to fall asleep is late 14c. Fall through "come to naught" is from 1781. To fall for something is from 1903.
  • verb retreat
Example sentences :
  • The people yelped as they thought they saw Taku fall back before him.
  • Extract from : « The Trail Book » by Mary Austin
  • He'd be 'thankful' to hear that his worst enemy had an uncle to fall back upon.
  • Extract from : « The Channings » by Mrs. Henry Wood
  • Because there was nothing else to do, Grant unscrewed his helmet and let it fall back on its hinge.
  • Extract from : « Pirates of the Gorm » by Nat Schachner
  • They're going to fall back, and let the artillery start in again!
  • Extract from : « The Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields » by Lieut. Howard Payson
  • But why, since they were about to fall back, had they advanced to the line of the Aisne?
  • Extract from : « The Downfall » by Emile Zola
  • After a stiff fight the Russians were compelled to fall back.
  • Extract from : « The Story of the Great War, Volume VI (of VIII) » by Various
  • He turned; and that which he saw caused him to fall back upon his fellows.
  • Extract from : « Billy Topsail & Company » by Norman Duncan
  • You see, she has no lover yet to fall back upon, as it were.
  • Extract from : « The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in Cuba » by Walter Goodman
  • So orders were issued by him, on the battlefield, to fall back to the original line.
  • Extract from : « Gallipoli Diary, Volume 2 » by Ian Hamilton
  • General Edward Johnson's had to fall back from the Alleghenies!
  • Extract from : « The Long Roll » by Mary Johnston

Synonyms for fall back

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019