step back

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

Ashe, 33, then took a step back to focus on her health and had most recently released a joint album with friend FINNEAS as duo The Favors. — Josh Glicksman, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2026

The Wildcats have taken a step back in their first season under new head coach Collin Klein with five losses in their past six games, including Saturday’s 66-28 defeat to Oklahoma State. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2026

Kansas City’s offense has taken a step back with injury woes at receiver and defenses bottling up Kenneth Walker III, but Gang Green should offer far less resistance than Seattle and Denver did in the last two weeks. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026

But most importantly for those wanting the full Aussie experience, Taverner recommends taking a step back and slowing down. — Irene Kim, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for step back

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