1.
If someone pulls back from an action, they decide not to do it or continue with it, because it could have bad consequences.
They will plead with him to pull back from confrontation...
The British government threatened to make public its disquiet but then pulled back.
PHRASAL VERB : V P from n , V P
2.
If troops pull back or if their leader pulls them back , they go some or all of the way back to their own territory.
They were asked to pull back from their artillery positions around the city...
He pulled back forces from Mongolia, and he withdrew from Afghanistan.
PHRASAL VERB : V P , V P n (not pron) , also V n P