as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
she hung back in offering her opinion about her daughter's career choices because it wasn't her business
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Examples of hang back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Until there is more certainty around those answers, investors may hang back, or wait for more opportunistic moments (like, say, a bankruptcy).
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Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024
As computers moved on from DOS to Windows, and word programs grew to encompass features that strayed far from organizing words on a page, WordStar hung back, whether in DOS emulation or in the hearts of its die-hard fans.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 6 Aug. 2024
Despite his love of the spotlight, the high priest opted to hang back, a calculated effort to play it cool.
—Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
But for every company that puts its money where its mouth is when promoting lower-impact materials, more hang back on the sidelines, Kooragamage said.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for hang back 
Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024
As computers moved on from DOS to Windows, and word programs grew to encompass features that strayed far from organizing words on a page, WordStar hung back, whether in DOS emulation or in the hearts of its die-hard fans.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 6 Aug. 2024
Despite his love of the spotlight, the high priest opted to hang back, a calculated effort to play it cool.
—Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
But for every company that puts its money where its mouth is when promoting lower-impact materials, more hang back on the sidelines, Kooragamage said.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for hang back
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hang back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near hang back
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“Hang back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hang%20back. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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