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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back out
If only one of them didn’t throw their back out… Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer’s hilarious and twisty horror comedy is a ticking clock crawl to survival as the sibling duo must find a way out or face the dangers of being caught when the owner returns home.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
The Ravens backed out of a blockbuster trade for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby late Tuesday.
—Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The Baltimore Ravens stunned the NFL on Tuesday night by backing out of an agreement to trade for Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
—Pat Leonard, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The Raiders announced Tuesday that Baltimore backed out of the deal.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
The Ravens backed out of a blockbuster trade for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby late Tuesday.
—Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The Baltimore Ravens stunned the NFL on Tuesday night by backing out of an agreement to trade for Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
—Pat Leonard, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The Raiders announced Tuesday that Baltimore backed out of the deal.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back out
Verb
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The midterms may hinge on affordability Democrats are making affordability the central plank of their pitch to voters in November, arguing that Trump has failed in his campaign promise to bring prices back down despite Republican control of Congress.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Potentially most importantly, Bane was coming from the Memphis Grizzlies, who made a name for themselves by not backing down to anyone who stood in front of them.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Internal Revenue Service backed off audits of partnerships, while the White House ordered agencies to open up retirement plans to private equity and credit.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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After the interview, another guard arrived to lead the way back off to the barren, freezing parking lot in Queens.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Simmons' mother, Cheryl Simmons, recalled to CBS affiliate WBNS Friday the moment uniformed officers arrived at their home to deliver the news.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Laurent Brossoit, recalled from the Barracuda of the AHL on Friday, backed up Nedeljkovic against the Canadiens and is an option to start the Sharks’ game on Sunday in Ottawa.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20out. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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