The enemy made a strong attack, and the soldiers fell back on the fort.
When the big bills for Mother's hospital care came, Joe was glad he had money in the bank to fall back on.
If Mr. Jones can't find a job as a teacher, he can fall back on his skill as a printer.
Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". Оригинал: A.Маккей, М.Т.Боткер, Дж.И.Гейтс. 1997.
fall back — {v.} To move back; go back. Usually used with a group as subject. * /The army fell back before their stubborn enemies./ * /The crowd around the hurt boy fell back when someone shouted Give him air! / Compare: DROP BACK, GIVE WAY … Dictionary of American idioms
fall back — {v.} To move back; go back. Usually used with a group as subject. * /The army fell back before their stubborn enemies./ * /The crowd around the hurt boy fell back when someone shouted Give him air! / Compare: DROP BACK, GIVE WAY … Dictionary of American idioms
fall back on — (something) to depend on something after a loss or failure. The family has no savings to fall back on. I fell back on skills I had learned years ago when I had to earn a living for myself … New idioms dictionary
fall back — [v] retreat back, draw back, give back, recede, recoil, retire, retrocede, retrograde, surrender, withdraw, yield; concept 195 Ant. forge, forward, progress … New thesaurus
fall back — ► fall back retreat. Main Entry: ↑fall … English terms dictionary
fall back on — ► fall back on have recourse to when in difficulty. Main Entry: ↑fall … English terms dictionary
fall-back — fallˈ back adjective Used as a retreat, or second alternative (also noun) • • • Main Entry: ↑fall … Useful english dictionary
fall back (up)on — To have recourse to as an expedient or resource in reserve ● fall … Useful english dictionary
fall back — index regress, relapse, retire (retreat), retreat Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
fall back on — index exploit (make use of) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
