fallback
fallback — 名詞
1. another option you have prepared in advance so that you can use it if your main
備案
主方案失敗時可改用的備用選擇
another option you have prepared in advance so that you can use it if your main plan does not work or something you depend on suddenly becomes unavailable.
Padma always packs a power bank as a fallback in case her phone dies during fieldwork.
Padma 做田野工作時，總會帶一顆行動電源當備案，以防手機沒電。
as a fallback in case [X]
If the new supplier is late again, the factory will use last year's vendor as a fallback.
如果新供應商再次遲交，工廠會把去年的廠商當成備案來用。
use [X] as a fallback
The teacher prepared a paper worksheet as a fallback in case the school WiFi went down.
老師事先準備了紙本練習單當備案，以防學校 WiFi 斷線。
Leo applied to three local colleges as a fallback in case the scholarship abroad fell through.
Leo 同時申請了三所本地大學當備案，以防出國的獎學金落空。
The wedding planner kept the indoor hall booked as a fallback in case of rain.
婚禮顧問把室內禮堂繼續訂著當備案，以防下雨。
- backup
more everyday; very common in tech contexts
- contingency
more formal; emphasises planning for risk
- reserve
broader; often used for resources, not plans
- main plan
the primary choice you intend to use first
文法句型
a fallback (for/in case of X)
have a fallback
用法筆記
Often appears as 'as a fallback' or 'have a fallback' — speakers stress that the option is held in reserve, not used by default.
常見錯誤
fallback — 形容詞
- fallbackpositive
- more fallbackcomparative
- most fallbacksuperlative
1. describes a plan, position, or choice that is kept ready so that you can switch
備用的
預先準備、在主選擇失敗時可切換的
describes a plan, position, or choice that is kept ready so that you can switch to it when your first choice fails or stops being possible.
Selim drew up a fallback plan in case the bank refused his loan application.
Selim 擬好了一份備用方案，以防銀行拒絕他的貸款申請。
fallback + plan
The union agreed on a fallback position before walking into the salary talks.
工會在進入加薪談判前，先談妥了一個備用立場。
fallback + position (negotiation)
Eri kept a fallback offer from a smaller firm while waiting to hear from her dream company.
Eri 一邊等夢想中的公司回覆，一邊保留了一家小公司的備用 offer。
The coach gave the team a fallback strategy to use if the star player got injured.
教練給球隊一套備用戰術，以備明星球員受傷時使用。
Amani chose teaching as a fallback career, just in case her music dream did not pay the bills.
Amani 把教書當作備用職業，以防音樂夢想養不活自己。
- backup
more informal; common in tech and everyday speech
- alternative
wider; does not imply the option is held in reserve
- contingency
more formal; stresses risk planning
- primary
the main choice you plan to use first
文法句型
fallback + plan/position/option
用法筆記
Attributive only — used before a noun (a fallback plan), not after 'be' (✗ 'the plan is fallback'). Almost always pairs with nouns like plan, option, position, strategy, career.
常見錯誤
fallback — 動詞
- fallbackpresent simple I / you / we / they
- fallbacks3rd person singular
- fallbacking-ing form
- fallbackedpast simple
1. to step or move backward away from a place or person, often slowly and to keep a
後退；撤回
緩慢往後移動以保持安全距離
to step or move backward away from a place or person, often slowly and to keep a safe distance — most often seen in older or literary writing.
The soldiers were ordered to fallback from the river before the storm flooded the valley.
士兵奉命在暴雨淹沒山谷前，從河邊後退。
fallback from [place] (military / formal)
The crowd began to fallback as the police horses moved into the square.
警馬走進廣場時，群眾開始往後退。
fallback (intransitive, no object)
Vinícius told the children to fallback from the edge of the cliff at once.
Vinícius 立刻叫孩子們從懸崖邊後退。
The frightened deer began to fallback into the trees when the dog barked.
狗一吠，受驚的鹿就開始往樹林裡退去。
Christopher watched the wave fallback into the sea before the next one crashed in.
Christopher 看著海浪退回海裡，下一道浪才接著打上來。
- advance
to move forward toward something
文法句型
fallback (from X)
用法筆記
Rare and formal. Modern English usually splits this into the phrasal verb 'fall back' (two words). Treat the one-word verb as literary or specialist; in everyday writing prefer 'retreat', 'step back', or the two-word 'fall back'.