Synonyms of hang back

hang back

verb

as in to hesitate

to show uncertainty about the right course of action

she hung back in offering her opinion about her daughter's career choices because it wasn't her business

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitate
• falter
• wait
• debate
• balance
• vacillate
• halt
• scruple
• dither
• stagger
• waver
• pause
• back down
• wobble
• sway
• teeter
• delay
• chicken (out)
• linger
• haw
• hem
• ponder
• procrastinate
• deliberate
• weigh
• shilly-shally
• dawdle
• consider
• equivocate
• oscillate
• waffle
• hedge
• dally
• pussyfoot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decide
• plunge (in)
• dive (in)
• continue
• stir
• advance
• budge

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hang back

The most recent Super Bowl-winning teams made dynamic moves, while the Bills continued to hang back. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

As the other performers migrate from the performance space to the control room to hear the recording, Sehgal hangs back. — Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Those of us not actually knocking hung back in the stairwell; even so, some residents were hesitant to engage. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026

While others in our pack hung back, discussing everything from real estate prices to the effects of social media on teenagers (Really? — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026