as in hesitated
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 hung back
Afterward, while players sat at a long table under one of the baskets, providing autographs for fans, Farokhmanesh hung back.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Seeing the body language of his double-play partner, second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa hung back as well.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Seeing the body language of his double-play partner, second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa hung back as well.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hung back
Verb
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If at any point María Luisa hesitated, doubtful about the tastefulness of this colossus, those doubts vanished the moment a representative of the city council delivered a witty and audacious explanation of the arch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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Neither man hesitated to reach for the bottle.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ultimately, Drake’s suit faltered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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After Ohtani faltered, the game was the Blue Jays’ to lose, but the Dodgers kept pecking away.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hung back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hung%20back. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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