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shrink back

[/ʃrɪŋk bæk/]
verb phrase
recuar, encolher-se, afastar-se
1. to move backward or away, especially in fear or disgust; to recoil
She shrank back from the spider on the wall.
Ela recuou diante da aranha na parede.
2. to withdraw or show reluctance to do something; to hesitate
He shrank back from confronting his boss about the issue.
Ele hesitou em confrontar seu chefe sobre o problema.
3. to become smaller or to contract
The fabric shrank back to its original size after washing.
O tecido encolheu para seu tamanho original após a lavagem.
NYC Slang
back off, punk out
Synonyms
recoilflinchwincedraw backpull backretreathesitateshy away
Antonyms
advancemove forwardapproachembraceconfront

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
recuar, encolher-se
Most common usage in casual speech
São Paulo
se afastar, dar um passo atrás
Slightly more formal variant
Portugal
recuar, encolher-se, afastar-se
Similar usage to Brazil, with recuar being preferred in formal contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

shrink from responsibility
shrink in horror
not shrink back from a challenge
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