hang back

verb

hung back; hanging back; hangs back

intransitive verb

1

: to drag behind others

2

: to be reluctant

Synonyms

• balance
• dither
• falter
• halt
• hesitate
• scruple
• shilly-shally
• stagger
• teeter
• vacillate
• waver
• wobble
• wabble

Examples of hang back in a Sentence

even though the young mother wanted the job, she still hung back because she wasn't sure if she should spend time away from her family

Recent Examples on the Web

For over two years, capital has been hanging back – and that capital must move because it is held in closed-end funds, with a typical 10-year lifespan. —Control Risks, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

The kids decide to hang back at the restaurant for the night when Bob buys coveted candy (Sour Sack Babies), and the place gets overrun with desperate trick-or-treaters. —Lillian Brown, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024

For many global companies and banks, hanging back will be the easiest and safest course of action. —Eric Lorber, Foreign Affairs, 15 July 2015

Instead, many hide their hearing loss by nodding along in conversation, by hanging back at social gatherings, by staying home. —Charley Locke, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hang back

verb

1

: to linger behind others

hung back to wait for the slower children

2

: to be unwilling to do something : hesitate

always hangs back when everyone else is dancing