cancel out

phrasal verb

canceled out or cancelled out; canceling out or cancelling out; cancels out

: to reduce the effect of (something) : to be equal to (something) in force or importance but have an opposite effect

The costs cancel out the benefits.

Examples of cancel out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The France defender missed the cross which bounced off Curtis Jones’ knee and fell invitingly for Ryan Sessegnon to cancel out Alexis Mac Allister’s stunning opener. —James Pearce, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

The member who is present abstains from voting yes or no, thus the absent member’s vote is canceled out. —Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025

Moody interiors cancel out the sunny exteriors with a dark, natural color palette softened by plenty of textured rugs and furnishings. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025

Another non-negotiable for a brass-free blonde is purple shampoo, which cancels out yellow tones for a brighter, cooler-toned finish. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 11 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for cancel out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout