zurück|greifen
Translation
to fall back on, to resort to, to draw on
Examples
Wir mussten auf unsere Ersparnisse zurückgreifen.
We had to fall back on our savings.
Er griff auf alte Methoden zurück.
He resorted to old methods.
Grammar Patterns
((auf+4)) to fall back on sth. We had to fall back on our savings.
Similar Words
Synonyms: sich bedienen, verwenden, nutzen
Etymology
From 'zurück' (back) and 'greifen' (to grab, to seize). Literally 'to grab back', meaning to reach for something kept in reserve.
Memory Tips
Think of 'grabbing' (greifen) something from 'back' (zurück) in your resources, like a backup plan.