back out

verb

backed out; backing out; backs out

intransitive verb

: to withdraw especially from a commitment or contest

Examples of back out in a Sentence

she backed out on her offer to help with the wedding planning
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Thursday, in a unanimous vote, the Kansas City City Council voted to do away with the 130-foot height restriction on the parcel where a new Nordstrom department store had once been planned, before the company backed out in 2022. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025 Or maybe sign Cameron Latu off the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad (Barrows slowly backs out of the room). Matt Barrows, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025 Leaving the exhibit and heading back out into the rain. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025 The industry chews people up and spits them (and their dreams) right back out. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for back out

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back out was in 1801

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Cite this Entry

“Back out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20out. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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