shy away
Flinch from commitment
To shy away from something is to avoid or withdraw from it out of reluctance, fear, or discomfort.
The image comes from a horse shying—startling and pulling back from something frightening.
People shy away from confrontation, commitment, difficult topics, or anything that makes them uneasy: He shied away from discussing his past.
Don't shy away from asking tough questions.
- hesitatePause in uncertainty
- get cold feetSuddenly fear proceeding
- shrinkDecrease in size
- shrink backWithdraw due to fear
- withdrawRemove or pull away
draw back · avoid · evade · recoil · flinch · balk · cringe · eschew · cower · steer clear · retreat · turn tail · run away · dodge · skirt · back off · refrain · sidestep
timidity vs boldness
shy awaydive in
Begin eagerly, headfirst
plunge into · charge ahead · tackle · take on · step up to