hang back
verb
hung back; hanging back; hangs back
intransitive verb
1
: to drag behind others
2
: to be reluctant
Synonyms
- balance
- dither
- falter
- halt
- hesitate
- scruple
- shilly-shally
- stagger
- teeter
- vacillate
- waver
- wobble
- wabble
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
Word History
First Known Use
1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1
hang back
verb
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hesitate
- falter
- debate
- balance
- wait
- halt
- vacillate
- dither
- scruple
- pause
- back down
- stagger
- waver
- wabble
- wobble
- sway
- delay
- teeter
- haw
- linger
- deliberate
- hem
- ponder
- procrastinate
- weigh
- dawdle
- shilly-shally
- consider
- chicken (out)
- waffle
- equivocate
- oscillate
- hedge
- dally
- pussyfoot
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plunge (in)
- decide
- dive (in)
- continue
- stir
- advance
- budge