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

David hung back, letting Cody be the one to approach the woman sitting at the front desk, crowded out by a floral arrangement. — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026

Almost every player decided to hang back to get some extra work. — Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Facing those headwinds, presidents typically hang back and let candidates run their own races in their own districts. — Tamara Keith, NPR, 22 July 2026

Gengras hangs back, letting his synths thicken the air rather than leaping boldly to the front. — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026