Language: en
Meaning: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically:seestep,back.1980,AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page40:Entering Avebury from any direction is likestepping backinto the past. Before the centre of the village is reached, the road passes through an immense circle of brooding stones which stand like petrified ghosts of an age about which little is known.2022January 12, “Network News: Nexus inspects Beamish lines”, inRAIL, number948, page14:Engineers from the Tyne & Wear Metrostepped back in timein December, to conduct a safety-critical inspection of the tramway at the open-air Beamish Museum in County Durham.; (idiomatic)Tostopwhat one is doing andevaluatethe current situation.Perhaps we shouldstep backfor a second and think about solving this problem a different way.2022November 16, Mel Holley, “Rail strikes halted to allow for "intensive negotiations"”, inRAIL, page 8:Making the announcement at 1600 on Friday November 4, the RDG [...] said in a statement: "It is positive that the RMT leadership hasstepped backfrom the brink and called off their strike action.; (idiomatic)Topreventoneself from becomingemotionallyinvolvedin a certain situation.As a therapist sometimes you have tostep backfrom your clients' lives.; (rail transport,of a driver at a terminal station)to depart driving the train following the train they arrived into the station driving, so as to decrease service turnaround time.; (idiomatic)To retreat from one's duties in a job; to reduce one's duties, often as a prelude to leaving a position; totake a back seat.He'sstepping backfrom the role to let you start in it.; (idiomatic)To quietly abandon a belief.You need tostep backfrom the threat you made.
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