back out
Britishverb
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Move or retreat backwards without turning; same as back away , def. 1.
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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.
One morning, Margaret notices a red cardinal in her kitchen, meeting its eyes before it departs back out her window.
From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026
While those could be big reasons for investors to back out of tech, there’s likely more to it than that.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
“That’s an incredible number,” he said, adding that even after you back out technology stocks from that figure, earnings were still up an impressive 14%.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
“Tell L.A. I love them and all of Southern California — and I can’t wait to get back out there and visit my home state and my hometown.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
The van’s engine is rumbling low when I get back out into the parking lot.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
