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.
It was bobbled off the post and cleared back out to the corner of the box for Rodriguez. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2025 Eight selective colleges signed on last spring to accept Dialogues portfolios as part of a pilot project, but two of them — Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — backed out in July. Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025 Oscar-winning actor George Clooney came down with an illness and was forced to back out of Venice Film Festival activities. EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Pull the zip back out and remove and dispose of any hair or other materials that are caught on the teeth. Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20out. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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