cancel out

Idioms  

1. Neutralize the effect of, offset, render void. For example, Anne's kindness to her neighbor could not cancel out her irritability. The verb cancel was used in this way by itself from the late 1400s; out was added in the early 1900s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cancel out

The only thing that does not cancel out is the fee you pay for it.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Research looking at how to protect the future of England's largest lake showed potential to "fully cancel out" the projected impact of climate change on it.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

If two galaxies spinning in nearly opposite directions collided, their motions could cancel out.

From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026

Any amount you convert is subject to income-tax rates of up to 37%—but the senior deduction can help cancel out that tax, Adams says.

From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026

When a crest from one piston runs into a trough from the other, the two cancel out; if you look carefully at the pattern of ripples, you can see lines of still, wave-free water.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• annihilate
• belie
• disallow
• disprove
• invalidate
• neutralize
• nullify
• rebut
• reverse
• undo
• vitiate
• void