Wiktionary
vb. 1 To retreat. 2 To fail to fulfil a promise or purpose.
WordNet
v. fall backwards and down
hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc. [syn: lag, dawdle, fall behind]
move back and away from; "The enemy fell back" [syn: recede, retire] [ant: advance]
retreat [syn: lose, drop off, fall behind, recede] [ant: gain]
have recourse to; "The government resorted to rationing meat" [syn: resort, recur]
go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals" [syn: relapse, lapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress]
Usage examples of "fall back".
I was forced to fall back upon the unsatisfactory conclusion, that while, beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the power of thus affecting us, still the analysis of this power lies among considerations beyond our depth.
Domaris tried to raise herself, but her face twisted with pain and she had to fall back.
The robot advances, and we have no choice but to fall back before it.
Looks as if well have to fall back on mundane things like routine and formal investigation, doesn't it?
Only a dozen riders stagger in their saddles or fall, and the angels fall back.
He watched her head fall back, saw the intensity of the climax that ripped through her.
She gave him another grin and circled around to fall back beside Cecilia.
Petra let the curtain fall back across the lights of the city and turned to him.