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1. To break off a military action with an enemy
   - disengagement, pullout

1. Fall backwards and down
    
2. Hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
   - lag, dawdle, fall behind
    
3. Move back and away from
   "The enemy fell back"
    
4. Retreat
   - lose, drop off, fall behind, recede
    
5. Have recourse to
   - resort, recur
    
6. Go back to bad behaviour
   - relapse, lapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress

Derived forms: falling back, falls back, fallbacks, fell back

See also: fall

Type of: apply, draw back, employ, follow, lean back, move back, pull away, pull back, recede, recline, regress, retire, retreat, retrograde, retrogress, retrovert, return, revert, turn back, use, utilise [Brit], utilize, withdraw

Antonym: gain

Encyclopedia: Fall back