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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The moment highlighted a shift from March, when Jeffries hesitated to endorse Schumer after a previous bipartisan funding agreement.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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Many establishment Democrats hesitated or declined to endorse their party's choice for mayor, and moderate-to-conservative power brokers united behind Cuomo's third-party candidacy.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pressed to find out exactly where the show faltered, Mangan opined that perhaps the sheer amount of talent behind the camera stopped anyone from steering this Hindenburg on course.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
5 Nov. 2025
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Ultimately, Drake’s suit faltered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hung back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hung%20back. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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