as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
she hung back in offering her opinion about her daughter's career choices because it wasn't her business
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hang back
However, people with certain skin conditions should hang back.
—
Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 8 Feb. 2025
But the congestion around National Airport, one of the country’s busiest public airspaces, requires particular adeptness and a willingness to hang back if necessary to let passenger jets take off or land safely.
—Mark Walker, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
Pick up a few of the travel prints and turn them into a series to frame and hang back home.
—Lane Nieset, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Devine kept Bunny on a leash, hanging back a safe distance.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hang back
Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 8 Feb. 2025
But the congestion around National Airport, one of the country’s busiest public airspaces, requires particular adeptness and a willingness to hang back if necessary to let passenger jets take off or land safely.
—Mark Walker, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
Pick up a few of the travel prints and turn them into a series to frame and hang back home.
—Lane Nieset, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Devine kept Bunny on a leash, hanging back a safe distance.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hang back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hang back
Verb
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Those that hesitate to modernize risk becoming less competitive in today’s fast-moving market.—
John Bruno,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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As Mars slips into your 12th house on June 17, your energy turns inward, so don’t hesitate to take a step back to rest, recharge and take a break from the social scene.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Ocean protection efforts are faltering, with policy talk far outpacing tangible results.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Doctoring provides powerful tools for getting under the hood, but writing offers ones that dig into the interstitial spaces where our more utilitarian tools falter.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hang back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hang%20back. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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