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Synonyms

back out

British  

verb

  1. to withdraw (from an agreement, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
back out Idioms  

  1. Move or retreat backwards without turning; same as back away , def. 1.

  2. Also, back out of something . Withdraw from a situation, or break an agreement or engagement. For example, After the announcement appeared in the papers, Mary found it doubly difficult to back out of her engagement to Todd . [Early 1800s] Also see go back on .

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

According to Peters’ Kick live stream, the influencer is headed back out Wednesday night to celebrate Miami’s Bacara Club streaming launch party.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

It would require Colony Ridge to adopt stricter lending standards and allow buyers to back out of purchases without penalty within two months.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

In February, she decided to reach back out to Coogan and his co-host Jordi Hays.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Despite this, Harris couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, so she tried to back out of the lease.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

I was in too deep to back out now.

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.