fall back

See also: fallback and fall-back

English

fall back (third-person singular simple present falls back, present participle falling back, simple past fell back, past participle fallen back)

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fall,‎ back.
To retreat.
- 1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 150:
  The bugler [Triton] obeyed, and putting the shell to his lips he blew from his puffed cheeks such a blast that at the sound of it all the waves and rivers fell back and left the land high and dry.
To fail to fulfill a promise or purpose.
To turn the clocks back for the end of daylight saving time.

to retreat