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

Learning how to fall and pretending you have superpowers can’t cancel out physics.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

Both are true, and they cancel out on schedule, 20 minutes apart.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 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

The other three forces are either short range, or are sometimes attractive and sometimes repulsive, so they tend to cancel out.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

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