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fall back

[/fɔːl bæk/]
verb (phrasal)
recuar; retroceder; recorrer a
1. To retreat or move backward, especially in a military context
The troops had to fall back when they faced heavy resistance.
As tropas tiveram que recuar quando enfrentaram forte resistência.
2. To rely on something as a backup or alternative option
If the plan doesn't work, we can fall back on our savings.
Se o plano não funcionar, podemos recorrer às nossas economias.
3. To decrease or decline in amount, rate, or quality
Sales have fallen back significantly this quarter.
As vendas recuaram significativamente neste trimestre.
NYC Slang
fall back / bounce back (when referring to recovery)
Synonyms
retreatwithdrawback upresort torely ondeclinedrop
Antonyms
advancemove forwardprogressimprove

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
recuar; voltar atrás; depender de
Most common usage across Brazil
Portugal
recuar; retroceder; depender de
Similar usage to Brazilian Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

fall back on
fall back into
have something to fall back on
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