From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English hang back phrasal verb 1 to stay a short distance away from someone or something, and not go too near them Instinctively he hung back in the shelter of a rock. 2 to not say or do something because you are shy or afraid → hang → See Verb table Examples from the Corpus hang back • Ambitious men will not wait and unscrupulous men will not hang back.

Verb [ edit] hang back (third-person singular simple present hangs back, present participle hanging back, simple past and past participle hung back) (informal) To wait; to falter; to avoid proceeding through reluctance.