back out

British  

verb

1. to withdraw (from an agreement, etc)

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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 .

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Example Sentences

Less than two weeks after the court’s ruling, unnamed buyers had backed out of their planned purchase of Richmond’s insolvent Versante Hotel.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was a passing shower and they were back out 40 minutes later with lunch pushed back by half an hour.

From Barron's

“They basically turned him back out on the streets,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Buyers are backing out of deals based on issues that arise during inspections or other worries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Getting people to come back out to the movies has been a challenge for film exhibitors nationwide, but it was especially tricky in a tiny community like Hebron.

From Salon

Related Words

• back down
• cancel
• give up
• renege
• surrender