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to hang back
[phrase form: hang]
01
to delay leaving or staying in a place after everyone else has departed
Intransitive: to hang back | to hang back somewhere
Grammatical Information
Action verb
Regular
Inseparable
Present tense
hang back
3rd person singular
hangs back
Past simple
hung back
Past participle
hung back
Examples
She decided to hang back at the office to finish some work after her colleagues had gone home.
02
to hesitate to do or say something, often due to uncertainty or shyness
Intransitive: to hang back | to hang back from sth
Examples
He tends to hang back in social situations, observing rather than participating.
