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Use fall-back in a sentence

Definition of fall back:

  • (verb) fall backwards and down
  • (verb) hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
  • (verb) move back and away from; "The enemy fell back"
  • (verb) retreat
  • (verb) have recourse to; "The government resorted to rationing meat"
  • (verb) go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals"

Sentence Examples:

She yawned, and let her fair head fall back on the pillow.

The vicar had to give way and fall back terrified upon himself.

And it shows man falling back on his innermost stronghold of all.

I shall content myself with falling back upon the evidence already adduced.

The falling back becomes a retreat, a sudden panic and a rout.

The Assistants give a finishing blow to the peg, and fall back.

Breckinridge saw they would over-power us, so ordered us to fall back.

She had home to fall back upon whatever might befall her here.

Chicago, certainly did, and this time not to fall back into languor.

Half falling back, and then recovering themselves in so artful a manner.

With an oath Martin let the pistol fall back into the holster.

In the hard open country they have to fall back upon the spade.

I rose to my elbow impulsively, only to fall back again utterly exhausted.

As it was impracticable to fall back upon the route by the St.

The foot is inverted, the heel falls back, and the toes are pointed.

If ever I have to delineate a passion I shall fall back on this guide.

It implies, too, an almost inexhaustible stock of recruits to fall back upon.

She cried, falling back, and the rosary dropped from her hand.

The rear ranks press over the fallen, waver, shout and fall back.

For a long time the beast clung there, writhing and falling back.

By a common impulse they begin to fall back across the turnpike.

The militia fire several well-aimed volleys, and fall back behind the Continentals.

If repulsed, he could not fall back and reform behind the infantry.

Leo declared, falling back somewhat feebly behind the shelter of the law.

For lack of anything better, men will philosophically fall back upon ugliness.

They fired at the pursuing posse, and compelled them to fall back.

Dives, after its spasmodic revival, falls back into silence, and is forgotten.

And she let her head fall back, which always signified a swoon.

She falls back upon her cushion with the easy grace of a swan.

In this dearth of particulars we must fall back upon the Saint's writings.

To fall back on mythological poems and heroic epics is dangerous and misleading.

"No flattery at all," said I, my growing conceit falling back to par.

He muttered, falling back into a chair, and folding his arms in despair.

The Union troops were forced to fall back a short distance and entrench.

Her hood falling back showed her face, clear pink, with dewy eyes.

This was their final repulse, and they now began to fall back.

We met on the boulevard a column of infantry falling back upon the Madeleine.

The pickets of the Light Division were soon assailed and obliged to fall back.

Exclaimed the patient, rising slightly on his remaining elbow, but falling back.

I muttered, falling back on to my pillow; "he will give me a relapse."

In the end we fall back on the hackneyed symbolism of a mechanical equilibrium.

A man cannot take the trouble to think; he falls back on an epigram.

Broke off the little old woman breathlessly, falling back in her chair.

Its defeat, its decline, would mean a falling back to the worst barbarism.

This made the whole body of archers waver and begin to fall back.

He falls back from the window and relapses into a chair, cackling ecstatically.

They had to fall back coarsely on the terror of infection and death.

Later, at intervals, the piano was lifted in its turn, falling back noisily.

Let her avail herself of apostolic resources, and fall back upon primitive precedents.

Although this advance caused Muffs to fall back, they still retained their ground.

I beckoned them to fall back, and then ordered my men to dismount.

She then falls back in a sort of epileptic fit, screaming and moaning.

She let her shapely head fall back until it rested on his shoulder.

I echoed, half rising in my place, and falling back again, as if stunned.

To fall back upon the terminology of music, these may be glimmerings of light-symphonies.

Such a movement would compel the French either to fight or to fall back.

Pry, in falling back to hospital, overcome with fatigue, accidentally shot himself in hand.

It may be said that society must fall back on the law of self-preservation.

My feet becoming sore and blistered, I had to fall back in the rear.

The receding of the right of the line also necessitated the falling-back of Williams.

The Printer falls back against the wall, then staggers from the room.

Blanchard, falling back a little and speaking in a tone of almost awestruck admiration.

The French were so heavily defeated that they had to fall back on Burgos.

To a philosophic observer, they seem to be falling back on the scale of civilization.

It is also certain that Seymour has either been annihilated or obliged to fall back.

Fear of falling back, and a mad craze to do it, made me acutely sick.

"You have needed those memories of your one day to fall back upon," he said, regretfully.

Iron ramrods against wooden; five shots to two: what is there but falling back?

My two jailers rose constantly to fall back shivering on the jug of moonshine.

I've tried and tried and tried, only to fall back again into the gutter.

In default of the moors we fall back on the kitchen and the cellar.

The phrases came in little spurts falling back into the dull murmur of conversation.

Exclaimed the banker, falling back a step in spite of himself at this proposition.

What you work from, and what you fall back upon, if you get besieged.

Orders were given to fall back to the horses, and the men obeyed sullenly.

On November 5 the main body of the Austrians began to fall back precipitately.

As I advanced they continued to fall back on muffled paws, still watching me.

You are forced to fall back on that unfailing friend and companion, a good book.

We have fired our last shots, and we must fall back now upon our cutlasses.

Slowly and sullenly they began to fall back from the doors and windows.

Time and again, we raised them from the slime, only to have them fall back.

Exclaimed the dying woman, falling back on her pillow, and clasping her hands.

All those tears and sufferings fall back upon my heart and rend it.

Falling back, she fouled with the Olga, and her rudder was carried away.

The police were compelled to fire in self-defense and to fall back towards the works.

He let the lace fall back over her heaving chest, and looked at her again.

Ah, that comes of having a sound constitution, with something to fall back upon!

Inquired the sick man, falling back exhausted, while he gazed vacantly at his friend.

I've had to fall back on your old plan of using wine to irrigate the garden.

Cried the idiot, falling back and shuddering as with a strong spasm; "he's bloody!"

Cried the wanderer, starting up, but only to fall back again, overcome with weakness.

Even the falling back with the claws interlocked has nothing specially aquatic in it.

Our pickets fall back, and through the dense wood the Confederates reach our line.

They seem inclined to fall back on their technicalities, which is all rot, of course.

His hair is dark and wavy as it falls back from a smooth high forehead.

Dale was confounded; the weakly sapling caught in a gust falls back as he did.

One becomes so accustomed to ardent pleasures that one cannot fall back upon simple ones.

The wings, composed of mounted infantry, soon began to fall back and to become displaced.

Even when everything looks desperate, there may be some untried resource to fall back on.

Half drunk and ever drinking, in quaking fear of the timber, it kept falling back.