draw back

Idioms  

1. Retreat, as in The heckler drew back into the crowd to avoid being identified . [c. 1300]

2. Withdraw from an undertaking, as in I was too deeply committed to draw back now . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Her eyes widened and her shoulders drew back sharply.

From Literature

Initially England wobbled after their arrival, with Jordan going over and New Zealand drawing back to within six points.

From BBC

Another Otsuchi resident, Yukari Kurosawa, was told a simpler adage when she was young: “If a big earthquake hits and the ocean draws back, run!”

From Literature

Instead of playing Lecter as obviously monstrous, "you go the opposite way, you draw back", he explains.

From BBC

He called it "a shame" that the United States was "drawing back" from scientific exploration in the region.

From Barron's