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Synonyms

opt out

British  

verb

  1. to choose not to be involved (in) or part (of)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of opting out, esp of local-authority administration

    opt-outs by hospitals and schools
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
opt out Idioms  

  1. Choose not to participate, as in Our school opted out of the state competition. [Slang; mid-1900s]

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.

The troupe will ask for audience consent, and participants can opt out.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Unlike the UK bill, the original Holyrood bill included a conscientious objection provision, stating that individuals or organisations must not be "subject to any detriment" if they opt out.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Plenty of people who cannot opt out of being Chinese have echoed the same frustration.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

Plaintiffs now have until June 4 to opt out of the settlement or file objections ahead of a fairness hearing scheduled for July 9.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

What this means is that the students—and parents—who choose to opt out tend to be smarter and more academically motivated to begin with.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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.