Synonyms

hang back

British

verb

to be reluctant to go forward or carry on (with some activity)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hang back Idioms

Be reluctant to move ahead, hold back. For example, They hung back at the entrance, fearful that they wouldn't be admitted, or We hung back to let our parents go in first. [Second half of 1500s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In retrospect, he said, he would have made a move on the leaders earlier had he known the pack was going to hang back.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

Whether donning a tracksuit to join a fun-run along Windhoek's Independence Avenue, or insisting his driver hang back from official motorcades, he aimed to be a man of the people.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2025

She knows when to hang back and when to attack.

From Washington Times • Jun. 9, 2023

When a new door opens, the mom’s reaction is usually to hang back.

From Washington Post • Dec. 13, 2022

I hang back, taking laboriously slow steps as Farooq is right behind Aliya, and the last thing I want to do is give him a thrill by colliding into him.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023