draw back — move away (because of surprise or fear)
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutraloccasional
to step or move away from someone or something, usually because you are surprised, scared, or uncomfortable.
Say it like a native
Textbook She recoiled in trepidation.
Native She drew back in fear.
'Recoiled in trepidation' is literary; 'draw back' / 'pull back' is the natural verb.
Pattern: draw back (from someone/something)
In use
- She drew back when the dog suddenly barked at her.daily life
- In some situations, people may draw back from new experiences because they feel nervous or unsure.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She drew herself back from the dog.
✓ She drew back from the dog.
Here it's intransitive — no 'herself'.
Common collocations
draw back— in fear, sharply, from, suddenly
Don't confuse it
'Draw back' means to move away, while 'step forward' means to move closer.