stand back

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

When standing back up, push down through your heel and the ball of your foot. —Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 15 Apr. 2026

Put Your Stamp On It Something that’s truly special about the museum is the interactive nature of its programming—this place isn’t about standing back and staring. —Paul J. Heney, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026

The Americans had total dominance over Iraqi airspace but stood back as Saddam unleashed helicopter gunships on the rebels. —Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026

People stood back up as Church grabbed the mic, ditched some of the stillness, and started moving, actually performing in the way most people associate with an Eric Church show. —Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for stand back

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