as in backs 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 backs out
Martinez was an eighth round pick by the D-backs out of Arizona State in 2025.
—
David Brandt, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
Martinez was an eighth-round pick by the D-backs out of Arizona State in 2025.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Or maybe sign Cameron Latu off the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad (Barrows slowly backs out of the room).
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
David Brandt, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
Martinez was an eighth-round pick by the D-backs out of Arizona State in 2025.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Or maybe sign Cameron Latu off the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad (Barrows slowly backs out of the room).
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs out
Verb
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McCoy dunked hard at the rim off the dribble, from a lob and even got a couple put-backs off his own misses.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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My record is one of an effective lawmaker who never backs down from a fight.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
Cite this Entry
“Backs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backs%20out. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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