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

There’s no trading ahead of the event and bettors can’t back out once the money is down.

From MarketWatch

Every second spent on the mountain is a second spent deciding whether to go for broke or pull back out of self-preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal

A little while later, she came back out toting a lantern and a big shoe box.

From Literature

Modern dating app culture can make it easy to stay in a miserable relationship just to have a sense of security and avoid being back out there.

From BBC

I listened drowsily to the soothing cadence of Togbe’s voice taking me back out onto the Volta, where the boy was fishing with his father, exploring a small creek in their canoe.

From Literature

Related Words

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