as in to back down
to break a promise or agreement
she backed out on her offer to help with the wedding planning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of back out
Will countries try to back out of their commitments, now that the IEEPA tariff threat is gone?
—
ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Stone debuted a pixie cut at the Golden Globes last year has been slowly growing her hair back out ever since.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 22 Feb. 2026
When a White House butler involved in the scheme attempted to back out, he was killed in a confrontation orchestrated by Jenny to look like an assassination attempt.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026
Which is exactly what draws you back out and keeps you exploring.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Stone debuted a pixie cut at the Golden Globes last year has been slowly growing her hair back out ever since.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 22 Feb. 2026
When a White House butler involved in the scheme attempted to back out, he was killed in a confrontation orchestrated by Jenny to look like an assassination attempt.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026
Which is exactly what draws you back out and keeps you exploring.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back out
Verb
-
If the plane heaves up, the spoilers can press it back down.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Huskies defenseman Kai Janviriya guided the puck back down the ice and was getting ready to possibly send his team home with a victory.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Oil backing off from its session high helped equities recover, too.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Specifically, a series of hydrogen leaks and then an unexpected problem getting helium to flow to the upper portion of the launch vehicle led to a series of delays and ultimately a decision to roll the rocket back off its launchpad.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than throwing those bad cops out of the union and asking for better training so cops will never have to ask what to do when a fellow cop appears to have broken the law, Hendry encourages them.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Herman views the administration’s statements about the complexity of the refund process—and the need for the CIT’s intervention—as a bit of a cop out.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But recalling that debate, there was an effort to make the case for regime change along several different axes, no pun intended.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Paton’s superpower in Minnesota, former GM Spielman recalled, was his ability to relate to all members of the coaching staff.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20out. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
