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
To walk the campus is to step back in time — to the Eisenhower administration.
—
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
The rookie scanned the floor before stepping back and draining a 3-pointer over the league’s most popular player.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
At 81, Ron Morneault will be stepping back from day-to-day involvement at the new store but will still be a presence on the sales floor some days.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
The choice to step back still exists.
—Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for step back
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Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
The rookie scanned the floor before stepping back and draining a 3-pointer over the league’s most popular player.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
At 81, Ron Morneault will be stepping back from day-to-day involvement at the new store but will still be a presence on the sales floor some days.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
The choice to step back still exists.
—Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for step back
Cite this Entry
“Step back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20back. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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