as in to back down
to break a promise or agreement
she backed out on her offer to help with the wedding planning
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Recent Examples of back out
That impetus brought Lance Hammer back out of the woodwork, a gauntlet thrown to himself to think through problematic contradictions involving the quite different — and often sparring — human verticals of capability, autonomy, and decline.
—
Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
As the fire spread and grew stronger, crews were forced to back out of the home.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Feb. 2026
Orion then used the aerodynamic lift of the capsule to skip back out of the atmosphere and then reenter for final descent under parachutes to splashdown.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Canadian billionaire Jimmy Pattison’s development company backed out of a sale of a 550,000-square-foot Virginia warehouse, Bloomberg reported.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
As the fire spread and grew stronger, crews were forced to back out of the home.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Feb. 2026
Orion then used the aerodynamic lift of the capsule to skip back out of the atmosphere and then reenter for final descent under parachutes to splashdown.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Canadian billionaire Jimmy Pattison’s development company backed out of a sale of a 550,000-square-foot Virginia warehouse, Bloomberg reported.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back out
Verb
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Trump backed down from a threat to launch a military invasion following congressional blowback, tumbling stock prices and criticism from America's closest allies.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
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Plus, traditional climbs involve hiking back down the mountain afterward.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For years, credit card issuers and other businesses that have backed off using magnetic strips in favor of more secure EMV chips and contactless RFID technology, commonly known as tap to pay.—
Madison Smalstig,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
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Public outcry prompted leadership in a Fayette County community to back off plans to switch one full-time police officer to a part-time role.—
Jennifer Borrasso,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
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But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Now back practicing with the Sharks since he was recalled from the Barracuda on Wednesday, Leddy’s playing career is somewhat in limbo, with a return to the AHL, a move to another team, or remaining on San Jose’s NHL roster all possibilities in the coming days and weeks.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
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This is where the concrete jungle meets the actual jungle, where every hike rewards with Instagram-worthy vistas and beaches recalling Caribbean-style island time.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20out. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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