take a step back

== English == === Verb === take a step back (third-person singular simple present takes a step back, present participle taking a step back, simple past took a step back, past participle taken a step back) (figuratively) To withdraw temporarily from a situation in order to evaluate it; to cease one's course of action and take a moment to reflect on it; to try and gain some perspective. ==== Related terms ==== step back ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “take a step back” in Idioms and phrases, TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2026.