fallback

noun
UK: /ˈfɔːlbæk/
US: /ˈfɔːlbæk/

  1. Something you use when your first plan does not work.

    1. My fallback was to ask my mom for help.
    2. We need to have a fallback plan in case the weather turns bad for the picnic.

  2. A person or thing that you can use or do if what you originally intended is not available or does not happen.

    1. He had a fallback in case the deal didn't go through.
    2. The company's fallback strategy involved cutting costs across all departments to survive the recession.

Synonyms

alternative backup reserve retreat
fallback intransitive-verb

  1. To move or turn back; retreat.

    1. The troops began to fallback.
    2. The army had to fallback after suffering heavy losses during the initial assault.

  2. To use something as a reserve or alternative when other plans fail.

    1. We'll fallback on our savings if we lose our jobs.
    2. If the primary server fails, the system will fallback to the backup server automatically.
fallback adjective

  1. Serving as a reserve or alternative.

    1. This is our fallback option.
    2. The software includes a fallback mechanism to prevent data loss during a system failure.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fallback" in English means: Something you use when your first plan does not work., A person or thing that you can use or do if what you originally intended is not available or does not happen..

The phonetic transcription of "fallback" is /ˈfɔːlbæk/ in British English and /ˈfɔːlbæk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "fallback": alternative, backup, reserve, retreat.

Example usage of "fallback": "My fallback was to ask my mom for help.". More examples on the page.