1. An alternative plan that can be used if necessary (e.g. in case something goes wrong)
   "If the outdoor event gets rained out, we have a fallback plan to move it indoors"
    
2. (military) the act of pulling back (especially an orderly withdrawal of troops)
   "The general ordered a fallback of troops from the contested region";
   - pullback, pullout

1. Move back and away from
   "The enemy fell back"
    
2. Hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
   "The company fell back in the market rankings";
   - lag, dawdle, fall behind
    
3. Retreat
   "The army fell back to a more defensible position";
   - drop off, fall behind, recede
    
4. Fall backwards and down
   "The boxer fell back after a powerful punch"
    
5. Have recourse to
   "The government fell back to rationing meat";
   - resort
    
6. Go back to bad behaviour
   "After rehab, he fell back into his old habits";
   - relapse, lapse, recidivate [rare], regress, retrogress

Derived forms: fallen back, fell back, fallbacks, falls back, falling 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 [rare], return, revert, turn back, use, utilise [Brit], utilize, withdraw, withdrawal

Encyclopedia: Fallback