hang back

verb

Definition of hang backnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hang back The most recent Super Bowl-winning teams made dynamic moves, while the Bills continued to hang back. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 As the other performers migrate from the performance space to the control room to hear the recording, Sehgal hangs back. — Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 8 Apr. 2026 Those of us not actually knocking hung back in the stairwell; even so, some residents were hesitant to engage. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026 While others in our pack hung back, discussing everything from real estate prices to the effects of social media on teenagers (Really? — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hang back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hang back
  1. hesitate
  2. falter
Verb
  • In the front seat of Red Bull’s car, Lodewyck did not hesitate.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • While the environment and systems have evolved and data has increased, organizations still hesitate when decisions must be made.
    — Jorge Couto, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of hesitate
Verb
  • Last year, in the middle of a hot, brutal, economically challenging season that saw many Miami restaurants falter and diners grow wary of spending, Hiyakawa in Wynwood decided to make a temporary change.
    — Connie Ogle July 30, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Doing so is quite handy because conventional LLMs are not very good at dealing with tabular or spreadsheet data (regular LLMs tend to falter or fail when analyzing such data).
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of falter

Browse Nearby Words

hang (at)
hang back
hangdog
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hang back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hang%20back. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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