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 woman hesitated at first but then let Sylvain into her apartment.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
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Sanchez hesitated at first about the idea of being on camera, but his loyalty to Gutiérrez proved stronger than the reservations.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Negotiations over the subsidies, a Biden-era benefit that lapsed at the end of 2025, have faltered once before and were at the center of a 43-day government shutdown last year, the longest on record.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Jan. 2026
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The Chiefs were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs last month, as the once-dominant team led by Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes faltered in close games throughout the year.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hung back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hung%20back. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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