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Synonyms
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
During the nighttime partying, older revelers mostly hung back.
—María Magdalena Arréllaga, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Finke again tried his signature move — hanging back before blitzing past the leaders in a mad dash to the final wall.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
But many of those demonstrators have since hung back, owing to political exhaustion.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024
Hinrichs’ best memory so far was at a stop a couple of years ago when a family brought a disabled child but were hanging back from the train to avoid the tussle of the crowd.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near hang back
Cite this Entry
“Hang back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20back. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
hang back
verb1
: 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
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