fall back phrasal verb ( see also ↑ fall )
1 . if soldiers fall back, they move back because they are being attacked SYN retreat :
He yelled for his men to fall back.
2 . to move backwards because you are very surprised, frightened etc:
Scott fell back a pace in astonishment.
3 . British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise :
When inflation started to rise, house prices fell back.