phrasal verb · neutral
take a step back
/teɪk ə stɛp bæk/take·a·step·BACK
task2speaking
to pause and consider a situation from a broader perspective
Examples
“Before making recommendations, it's useful to take a step back and review the data.”
“Sometimes you need to take a step back and relax to reduce stress.”
“In group work, taking a step back helps identify the main priorities.”
Band 8 sentence
“When projects become overwhelming, it's wise to take a step back and reassess priorities.”
Collocations
- take a step back and review
- take a step back from the issue
Word family
take a step back verb phrase
Common mistakes
take step back→take a step back
step back→take a step back
Say it for a higher band
5pause→6take a break→7+take a step back
Synonyms
reassess
pause and reflect
Easily confused
take a break
“After two hours of work she decided to take a break.”
Related words
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In take …
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