step back
phrasal verb
stepped back; stepping back; steps back
: to stop doing something or being actively involved in something for a time so in order to think about it and make decisions in a calm and reasonable way
You need to step back and give yourself some time to work through this.
Examples of step back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The building only includes showers, stepping back from a recent trend of local developers including bathtubs after years of only having showers.
—
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2024
Emmer's step back cleared the way for Johnson's nomination and successful election.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
King Charles, 75, returned to public-facing duties on April 30 after taking a step back to receive treatment following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 4 May 2024
In an interview published on April 30, Hadid spoke to Allure about life in Texas and taking a step back from modeling.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
The Oilers may finally be ready to step back into the light, curses be damned.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
The company has also reportedly offered jobs to candidates without interviews, and stepped back on its policy of not offering higher salaries to employees with job offers from competitors.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 1 May 2024
And here's a big penalty flag Fans must take a step back and seriously question stories about sudden availability or prices that are too good to be true.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Apr. 2024
Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2024
Emmer's step back cleared the way for Johnson's nomination and successful election.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
King Charles, 75, returned to public-facing duties on April 30 after taking a step back to receive treatment following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 4 May 2024
In an interview published on April 30, Hadid spoke to Allure about life in Texas and taking a step back from modeling.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
The Oilers may finally be ready to step back into the light, curses be damned.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
The company has also reportedly offered jobs to candidates without interviews, and stepped back on its policy of not offering higher salaries to employees with job offers from competitors.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 1 May 2024
And here's a big penalty flag Fans must take a step back and seriously question stories about sudden availability or prices that are too good to be true.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Apr. 2024
Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'step back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Step back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20back. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
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