fall back on

Idioms and Phrases

Also, fall back upon . Rely on, have recourse to, as in I fall back on old friends in time of need , or When he lost his job he had to fall back upon his savings . [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

And when he stops being that, he has something to fall back on.

From Los Angeles Times

In the absence of such leadership, special interest groups will step in with measures that fall back on stiff punishment and mass incarceration, as Proposition 36 does.

From Los Angeles Times

“I can afford to do it, but there are brilliant actors who are theater actors who can’t afford to work for that. I’ve got ‘Dune: Prophecy’ to fall back on, but for the rest of the cast, that is their income.

From Los Angeles Times

"The disappointment is always there, it always hits hard, but when you have so much experience to fall back on it is a little bit easier to take."

From BBC

But after mid-September, the Democrats seemed to fall back on their old fear-driven messaging: How will Trump’s campaign react?

From Salon