stand back
phrasal verb
stood back; standing back; stands back
1
: to take a few steps backwards
The paramedics told the crowd to stand back.
2
: to stop doing something or being actively involved in something for a time in order to think about it and make decisions in a calm and reasonable way
It's time to stand back and take a long hard look at your problems.
Examples of stand back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After Temple had joined Granas and her classmates to work on a number in a dance studio, Granas was asked to stand back-to-back with the child star.
—
Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
Instead, endeavor to stand back, look at the list dispassionately, and judge which three events honestly were the biggest of the year in your judgment.
—Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
And so within those highs and lows of the physicality of moving towards the work and standing back from it, there’s also the collaging of it—like the quilt-making of things, of histories.
—Amy Verner, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025
Video from inside the chamber showed the dispute turning violent within seconds, with lawmakers lunging at each other as others stood back and filmed the melee.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand back
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Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
Instead, endeavor to stand back, look at the list dispassionately, and judge which three events honestly were the biggest of the year in your judgment.
—Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
And so within those highs and lows of the physicality of moving towards the work and standing back from it, there’s also the collaging of it—like the quilt-making of things, of histories.
—Amy Verner, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025
Video from inside the chamber showed the dispute turning violent within seconds, with lawmakers lunging at each other as others stood back and filmed the melee.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand back
Cite this Entry
“Stand back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand%20back. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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