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
But then, shrugging the sounds off as fireworks, everyone stood back up.
—
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2024
Driving through your left heel, stand back up to the starting position.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 18 Jan. 2024
Men stood back and didn’t know how to deal with me, so in a way, my queerness protected me.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024
Students of history will recall that in the late 1930s and early 1940s the U.S. stood back and watched as a dictator invaded country after country.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024
Ciara then stood back and watched proudly as Wilson kept stepping side-to-side, adding a little extra bounce along the way.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 4 Feb. 2024
Later videos show people standing back from the blazing vehicle.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2024
Basic tips on successfully gaining hunting permission still apply, like dressing in street clothes, approaching the house with one or two people maximum, being extremely polite, and standing back from the door when someone answers.
—Ryan Chelius, Field & Stream, 31 Jan. 2024
People will stand back to see what the bigger players will do first.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2024
Driving through your left heel, stand back up to the starting position.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 18 Jan. 2024
Men stood back and didn’t know how to deal with me, so in a way, my queerness protected me.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024
Students of history will recall that in the late 1930s and early 1940s the U.S. stood back and watched as a dictator invaded country after country.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024
Ciara then stood back and watched proudly as Wilson kept stepping side-to-side, adding a little extra bounce along the way.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 4 Feb. 2024
Later videos show people standing back from the blazing vehicle.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2024
Basic tips on successfully gaining hunting permission still apply, like dressing in street clothes, approaching the house with one or two people maximum, being extremely polite, and standing back from the door when someone answers.
—Ryan Chelius, Field & Stream, 31 Jan. 2024
People will stand back to see what the bigger players will do first.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stand back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stand back
Cite this Entry
“Stand back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand%20back. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share