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
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
But many of those demonstrators have since hung back, owing to political exhaustion.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hang back
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
But many of those demonstrators have since hung back, owing to political exhaustion.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hang back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hang back
Verb
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Ask Questions And Remain Curious For early-career entrants, the entire process is new, including securing an internship, so don't hesitate to ask questions.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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And Brinkley didn’t hesitate to share her diet regimen.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Not every survivor has faltered in their vision for peace.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
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Without demand from clean energy, the U.S. market for rare earth, graphite, and lithium will falter.—
Alexander C. Kaufman,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hang back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hang%20back. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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