back out

verb

backed out; backing out; backs out
Synonyms of back outnext

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.
Price kicked the ball back out to Barnett who fired up another 3 that missed as the final seconds ticked off. Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026 In the end, the night before the agreement was set to expire and a referendum had to be submitted, both boards decided to back out. Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Their gravity warps space and time around them so much that no information from their confines can escape back out to the wider universe. Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Jan. 2026 And if inflation reappears and the Fed begins tightening borrowing conditions, investors weary of small caps' reputation as a low-rate play could back out. Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026 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 31 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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