fall back on

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fall back on(to) someone or something

1. . Lit. to fallback-wards onto someone or something. She stumbled and fell back onto the lady behind her. She fell back on the couch.

2. Fig. to begin to use someone or something held in reserve. We fell back on our savings to get us through the hardtimes. We had to fall back on our emergency generator.

See also: back, fall

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We are forced to fall back on fatalism as an explanation of irrational events (that is to say, events the reasonableness of which we do not understand). War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo View in context "Fortunately you've got me to fall back on," smiled Philip, taking her hand. Of Human Bondage by Maugham, W. Somerset View in context "I shall have to fall back on another Professor Woodleigh quotation to express what it has done for me," said Priscilla. Anne of The Island by Montgomery, Lucy Maud View in context			fair to middling Fair's fair fair-haired boy fair-weather friend faire fairer fairy fairy godmother fait faith Faith will move mountains fake fake it fake off fake out fake out of fall fall afoul of fall all over fall apart fall asleep fall at fall away fall away toward fall back fall back on fall below fall beneath fall between fall between two stools fall by fall by the wayside fall down fall down on fall down on the job fall flat fall flat on face fall for fall for hook, line and sinker fall foul of fall from fall from grace fall from power fall head over heels fall head over heels in love fall heir to fall ill fall in fall in a heap fall in line fall in love			Fall and tackle fall apart fall apart fall apart fall apart fall apart fall apart at the seams fall apart at the seams fall apart at the seams fall armyworm Fall Arrest Manufacturing Company Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training fall asleep fall asleep fall asleep at the switch fall at fall away fall away fall away fall away fall away fall away toward fall back fall back fall back fall back fall back Fall back and forward Fall back and forward Fall back and forward fall back on fall back upon fall behind fall behind fall behind fall behind fall below fall below fall beneath fall between fall between (the) two stools fall between (the) two stools fall between (the) two stools fall between (the) two stools fall between two stools fall block Fall Board Skins fall by fall by inheritance fall by succession fall by the wayside fall by the wayside fall by the wayside fall cankerworm Fall City Fall City Arts Fall Classic Fall Classic Fall Commanders Conference Fall Creek Falls State Park Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park

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