as in hesitating
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
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Recent Examples of hanging back
After Fester fried the hospital's power grid, allowing the LOIS patients to escape and begin attacking Judi, Wednesday noticed that one female patient was hanging back.
—
Megan McCluskey, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Megan McCluskey, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging back
Verb
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Chamandy said that, because of the ambiguity associated with the tariffs, companies are still hesitating to change suppliers until the dust settles.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
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For now, Ian’s hesitating to tell Mike.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hanging back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20back. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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