hang back
Third Person
hangs back
Present Participle
hanging back
Past Tense
hung back
Past Participle
hung back
1
to delay leaving or staying in a place after everyone else has departed
- She decided to hang back at the office to finish some work after her colleagues had gone home.
- The hikers were tired but wanted to hang back a bit longer to enjoy the sunset.
- The students were asked to hang back for a meeting with their teacher after class.
- Despite the storm, a few campers chose to hang back in their tents and wait for the rain to pass.
Synonyms:
2
to hesitate to do or say something, often due to uncertainty or shyness
- He tends to hang back in social situations, observing rather than participating.
- The opportunity to speak with the CEO was there, but he hung back and missed the chance to network.
- Don't hang back from voicing your opinions in the discussion; your input is valuable.
- Some students may hang back from asking questions in class because they fear looking foolish.
- The opportunity was right in front of her, but she felt unsure, so she hung back.