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.

It’s tempting to hang back, especially as companies rein in travel spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 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

“It may make sense for females to hang back with calves that are vulnerable,” said lead author Jennifer Tennessen, a senior research scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for Ecosystem Sentinels.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2023

I hang back from the crowd and only look up when someone calls my name.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

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