Meanings
verbshrink back (third-person singular simple present shrinks back, present participle shrinking back, simple past shrank back or shrunk back, past participle shrunk back or shrunken back)
present singular third person shrinks back · participle present shrinking back · past shrank back · past shrunk back · participle past shrunk back · participle past shrunken back
- To back away or retreat; to abandon an effort.
Synonyms: shrink away
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo back away or retreat; to abandon an effort.
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More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
shrink back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrink%20back
MLA
“shrink back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrink%20back. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shrink back,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrink%20back.
Source: shrink back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.