How to Use hang back in a Sentence

hang back

verb
Definition of hang backnext
Synonyms for hang backnext
  • If friends seem to need your support near the 30th, don’t hang back.
    — Katharine Merlin, Town & Country, 16 Apr. 2023
  • The jury, many of whom hung back for a meet-and-greet with the actor, went with Spacey’s version.
    — Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2023
  • Or about the soldier who hung back, too scared to go to the front, and then was killed when a missile struck their base.
    — Whitney Leaming, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2023
  • There, too, U.S. officials have made a point to hang back.
    — Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 26 Feb. 2021
  • Some lawmakers in the U.S. aren't counting on the Chinese to hang back.
    — Eric Fayeulle, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2022
  • Still you must be tempted to stay home on Saturdays or at least hang back in the kitchen?
    — Courtney Shea, refinery29.com, 1 Sep. 2021
  • In a shock ending, Lopez asks one member to hang back — not Affleck.
    — Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024
  • But the wariest mature bucks often hang back in the woods even farther.
    — Gerald Almy, Field & Stream, 17 Sep. 2020
  • Chiu hangs back with his 7-month-old Husky, Serene, who trotted alongside him during the ride..
    — Stephen Krcmar, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
  • When a new door opens, the mom’s reaction is usually to hang back.
    — Vicky Hallett, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022
  • Police ask Brown for his identification and ask him to hang back and not go to the car, the bodycam footage shows.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 June 2024
  • As some of the protesters file out, a couple of them, including Watkins, hang back.
    — Rachel Monroe, Harper’s Magazine , 18 Jan. 2022
  • The little girl simply did not want to head out the door to summer camp, finding any and all excuses to hang back.
    — Maureen Salamon, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023
  • Success is about understanding when to move forward, when to hang back and when to dodge.
    — Joseph Ferriolo, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2022
  • 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
  • Some have also chosen to hang back because of Covid concerns.
    — NBC News, 9 Sep. 2021
  • Cole was expected to hang back in Tampa with the Yankees in Minnesota this week.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 May 2024
  • Well, not all of them, because in a devastating move, Paige chose to hang back in the States rather than return to Russia with her parents.
    — Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 May 2024
  • The Broadway and opera displays put their custom-shod feet forward; the film, television, theme park and dance portions hang back.
    — New York Times, 12 Aug. 2021
  • After they were kicked out, Ruffin hung back and watched as the three women argued with each other outside the store, Kenny said.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 July 2024
  • In other words, there are no winners, no losers, no awards, and many participants will hang back with the slowest person.
    — Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
  • That night, the team bedded down in hopes of reaching Crabtree Meadow the next day, but Greener, exhausted, decided to hang back short of the day’s goal.
    — Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2021
  • Hammer staffers will lay them out and either discuss the works with guests or hang back and let visitors connect privately with the art.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023
  • James shared a big hug with Natalia and also hugged Bianka while Capri hung back shyly behind Natalia.
    — Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2023
  • Samantha is hanging back and plotting her next moves at home when Katagiri and Nagata show up with more questions.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024
  • Some investors like to hang back and monitor a stock’s performance before making a move.
    — Billboard, 18 Feb. 2021
  • But where there’s a crowd, there are usually a few individuals that hang back — they’re known as loners.
    — Erica Tennenhouse, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020
  • Job openings in these areas remain high, but are going unfilled as workers hang back for health and child care reasons and in hopes of better prospects.
    — NBC News, 27 Jan. 2022
  • With the defense hamstrung without Leonard, plus both starting safeties and the No. 1 cornerback, the Colts were faced with either leaning into the danger or trying to hang back and hope for the best.
    — Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Dec. 2021
  • Until there is more certainty around those answers, investors may hang back, or wait for more opportunistic moments (like, say, a bankruptcy).
    — Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024

Some of 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.

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