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.
And the time he said he was willing to buy Twitter, only to try to back out of the deal?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
“At the end of the day, I had a really good practice today, felt good. Super excited to be back out there with the guys, so I look forward to it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
If they don't beat Coventry and get their first win of the season, then they will probably have to go back out there next week as well.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
"Writing the record is only half the problem. You also have to read it back out of each cell, so we redesigned the tape to make that easier," said Kim.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
She ran back out of the forest, the other two following her closely.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
