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.
Friends and family fully lean into it — sending Holly into the stall when things aren’t looking good, only calling her back out for the action once the team starts turning things around. Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025 Such was not the case in 2021, when UCLA backed out five hours before kickoff against North Carolina State. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025 The next day, Schneider sent Bowden Francis back out for inning after inning against the Mariners. Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 The winning bidder for that project backed out amid conflict of interest allegations. Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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