as in hesitates
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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Recent Examples of hangs back
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
In episode six, Max and Holly find the memory that Henry has been hiding from, and while Max kind of ignores it, Holly hangs back and watches how Henry is affected by having killed that man.
—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Jan. 2026
While Judy tends to overdo it, Nick hangs back in his easygoing way and lets things fall into place.
—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
25 Nov. 2025
Asia hangs back from fetch, left; and right, Kiki gives her space to chase the ball at her own pace.
—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Deasia Paige,
AJC.com,
8 Apr. 2026
In episode six, Max and Holly find the memory that Henry has been hiding from, and while Max kind of ignores it, Holly hangs back and watches how Henry is affected by having killed that man.
—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Jan. 2026
While Judy tends to overdo it, Nick hangs back in his easygoing way and lets things fall into place.
—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
25 Nov. 2025
Asia hangs back from fetch, left; and right, Kiki gives her space to chase the ball at her own pace.
—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangs back
Verb
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In Spearfish, Yu hesitates over a set of cow grates and dumps her bike at low velocity.
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Hassan hesitates over an undercooked backpass, Haaland smells blood, and Iraq are toast.
Verb
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And once performance falters, customers are likely to lose faith in your brand.
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Conquerors and autocrats may win the immediate battle by bullying their subjects into submission, but their empires inevitably crumble the moment their iron grip falters.
Cite this Entry
“Hangs back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangs%20back. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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