as in backed off
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 backed out
Some buyers have also backed out of sales.
—
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Beck also backed out of the draft to transfer to the Hurricanes.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Will Arnett will fill David Harbour's shoes after the Stranger Things star backed out of director Tony Gilroy's upcoming drama, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026
But contracts for the sale fell through and would-be buyers backed out.
—Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
She got accepted for one, but then the sellers backed out.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025
The president formerly backed out of a planned interview with Scott Pelley in October ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
Buda’s best friend had vowed to join him, but backed out at the last minute.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 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
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Beck also backed out of the draft to transfer to the Hurricanes.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Will Arnett will fill David Harbour's shoes after the Stranger Things star backed out of director Tony Gilroy's upcoming drama, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026
But contracts for the sale fell through and would-be buyers backed out.
—Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
She got accepted for one, but then the sellers backed out.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025
The president formerly backed out of a planned interview with Scott Pelley in October ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
Buda’s best friend had vowed to join him, but backed out at the last minute.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed out
Verb
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But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Trump appears to have backed off those tariffs—for now—but the markets (and much of Europe) reacted sharply to the threat.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The administration has eased its tone and admitted mistakes in its immigration enforcement campaign since Pretti’s killing, but hasn’t backed down completely or paused operations in Minneapolis, as critics demanded.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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And Zelensky just hasn’t backed down, and Zelensky’s had the temerity to take him on, on a number of occasions, to push back.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20out. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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