hang back

verb

hung back; hanging back; hangs back

intransitive verb

1

: to drag behind others

2

: to be reluctant

Synonyms of hang back

• hesitate
• falter

Examples of hang back in a Sentence

even though the young mother wanted the job, she still hung back because she wasn't sure if she should spend time away from her family

Recent Examples on the Web

The two smaller bucks came down along the edge of the field and joined them, but Mossy Horns hung back in the timber. — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

The sellout crowd of 42,131 rose for a standing ovation when Scherzer took the mound alone before the game, with his teammates briefly hanging back in the dugout. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Liev hangs back as his wife, Taylor, tosses a handful of worms inside to Grandma, Sizzurp, Fern, Pico, and Miu Miu—a clucking brood whose eggs are packed into custom cartons stamped Hazel’s Hens, named for the couple’s toddler daughter, Hazel Bee. — Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026

The 22-year-old likes to get touch-tight to attackers but is an adept reader of the game too, knowing when to hang back. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hang back

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

hang back

verb

1

: to linger behind others

hung back to wait for the slower children

2

: to be unwilling to do something : hesitate

always hangs back when everyone else is dancing