cancel out
phrasal verb
canceled out or cancelled out; canceling out or cancelling out; cancels out
: to reduce the effect of (something) : to be equal to (something) in force or importance but have an opposite effect
The costs cancel out the benefits.
Examples of cancel out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like gray blending, toning shampoos protect your natural color by cancelling out the unintentional tones.
—
Essence, 20 Nov. 2025
First, Blue and Gold will go to the L2 Lagrange point, one of five places where gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth cancel out.
—Christopher Carr, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2025
As for the claim that magnesium can cancel out coffee’s stimulant effects, there’s simply no scientific evidence to support it.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 12 Nov. 2025
It’s been too long since the technical was shown as being considered with the same gravity as the other challenges, which made it that much weirder this season when suddenly, Paul and Prue decided that a baker’s performance on the technical was enough to cancel out other successes.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cancel out
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Essence, 20 Nov. 2025
First, Blue and Gold will go to the L2 Lagrange point, one of five places where gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth cancel out.
—Christopher Carr, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2025
As for the claim that magnesium can cancel out coffee’s stimulant effects, there’s simply no scientific evidence to support it.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 12 Nov. 2025
It’s been too long since the technical was shown as being considered with the same gravity as the other challenges, which made it that much weirder this season when suddenly, Paul and Prue decided that a baker’s performance on the technical was enough to cancel out other successes.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cancel out
Cite this Entry
“Cancel out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cancel%20out. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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