From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
fall back
v 1: fall backwards and down
2: hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress,
development, etc. [syn: {lag}, {dawdle}, {fall back}, {fall
behind}]
3: move back and away from; "The enemy fell back"
4: retreat [syn: {fall back}, {lose}, {drop off}, {fall behind},
{recede}] [ant: {advance}, {gain}, {gain ground}, {get
ahead}, {make headway}, {pull ahead}, {win}]
5: have recourse to; "The government resorted to rationing meat"
[syn: {fall back}, {resort}, {recur}]
6: go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often
minor criminals" [syn: {relapse}, {lapse}, {recidivate},
{regress}, {retrogress}, {fall back}]
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