as in hesitates
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 hangs back
In episode six, Max and Holly find the memory that Henry has been hiding from, and while Max kind of ignores it, Holly hangs back and watches how Henry is affected by having killed that man.
—
Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 2 Jan. 2026
While Judy tends to overdo it, Nick hangs back in his easygoing way and lets things fall into place.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 25 Nov. 2025
Asia hangs back from fetch, left; and right, Kiki gives her space to chase the ball at her own pace.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 2 Jan. 2026
While Judy tends to overdo it, Nick hangs back in his easygoing way and lets things fall into place.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 25 Nov. 2025
Asia hangs back from fetch, left; and right, Kiki gives her space to chase the ball at her own pace.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangs back
Verb
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Though Pollan hesitates to claim that a fundamental aspect of human capability and human experience remains beyond science’s reach, A World Appears closely maps out such a territory.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
11 Mar. 2026
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If a planner hesitates or hedges on this question, consider that a red flag.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If the economy falters, political pressure on the president will build.—
Nancy Cook,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
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The goal is to complete this as one continuous set, but drop to your knees and/or take breaks if your form falters at any point.—
Jenny McCoy,
Outside,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hangs back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangs%20back. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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