step back

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step back (third-person singular simple present steps back, present participle stepping back, simple past and past participle stepped back)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see step,‎ back.
   • 2022 January 12, “Network News: Nexus inspects Beamish lines”, in RAIL, number 948, page 14:

     Engineers from the Tyne & Wear Metro stepped back in time in December, to conduct a safety-critical inspection of the tramway at the open-air Beamish Museum in County Durham.

2. (idiomatic) To stop what one is doing and evaluate the current situation.

   Perhaps we should step back for a second and think about solving this problem a different way.

   • 2022 November 16, Mel Holley, “Rail strikes halted to allow for "intensive negotiations"”, in RAIL, page 8:

     Making the announcement at 1600 on Friday November 4, the RDG [...] said in a statement: "It is positive that the RMT leadership has stepped back from the brink and called off their strike action.

3. (idiomatic) To prevent oneself from becoming emotionally involved in a certain situation.

   As a therapist sometimes you have to step back from your clients' lives.

4. (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.

step back (plural steps back)

1. (idiomatic) A reversion to a former state or situation.

• (rail transport): double-end, double-ending

• backstep