English-French translations for step back

• reculer
  Nous ne pouvons pas reculer par rapport à notre engagement de fournir un environnement ouvert aux investissements. We cannot step back from our commitment to provide an open environment for investment.
  Cette directive faisait reculer la libéralisation que nous avons déjà mise en œuvre au Royaume-Uni. This directive was a step back from the liberalisation that we have already undertaken in the United Kingdom.
  L'arrêt de la Cour a non seulement fait reculer de plusieurs années les relations turco-kurdes, mais il constitue aussi un pas en arrière pour tout le processus de démocratisation. The judgment not only sets back Turko-Kurdish relations by many years, but is also a step backwards for the entire process of democratisation.

Definition of step back

• To prevent oneself from becoming emotionally involved in a certain situation
• to depart driving the train following the train they arrived into the station driving, so as to decrease service turnaround time
• A reversion to a former state or situation

Examples

• Perhaps we should step back for a second and think about solving this problem a different way.
• As a therapist sometimes you have to step back from your clients lives.

Related words

• double-end
• double-ending