about the bush, abrupt, alienate, avoid, back down, back out, backslide, balance, beat a retreat, beat around, beg the question, blench, blink, boggle, cast off, cast out, cock, cringe, cut adrift, cut off, cut out, debate, delete, deliberate, demur, depart, disarticulate, disconnect, disengage, disjoin, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, dodge, draw back, draw in, draw off, duck, eject, equivocate, estrange, evade, expel, fade, fall astern, fall back, fall behind, falter, fear, fence, fight shy of, flinch, get behind, give ground, give place, go back, go backwards, go behind, hang back, hang off, have qualms, hedge, hem and haw, hesitate, hold off, hover, hum and haw, isolate, jerk back, jib, lapse, leave, lose ground, make bones about, move back, parry, part, pause, ponder, pull away, pull in, pull out, pussyfoot, put off, quail, recede, recidivate, recoil, reel back, regress, relapse, retire, retract, retreat, retrocede, retroflex, retrograde, retrogress, return, revert, run back, scruple, segregate, separate, sequester, set apart, set aside, sheer off, shift, shift off, shilly-shally, shrink, shrink back, shut off, shy, shy at, shy away, shy off, sidestep, slip back, split, stand aloof, stand apart, stand aside, stand back, start aside, start back, step aside, stick at, stickle, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain, strain at, subtract, swerve, think twice about, throw off, throw out, turn aside, uncouple, unyoke, ward off, waver, weasel, weasel out, wince, withdraw, yield