as in to back down
to break a promise or agreement
she backed out on her offer to help with the wedding planning
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back out
No wonder Yard Act realized music is the lifeline that just might pull us back out of the muck.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
The high mode is designed for stronger extraction when pulling dirty water back out of fabric, while the lower mode gives users more runtime for lighter messes.
—
New Atlas,
24 June 2026
Griffin’s ninth strikeout of the night punctuated his seven innings, which then became a career-high 7 1/3 when Nationals manager Blake Butera sent him back out to the mound in the eighth at 99 pitches.
—
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
People tried multiple times and then had to back out and go to a different line.
—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
The high mode is designed for stronger extraction when pulling dirty water back out of fabric, while the lower mode gives users more runtime for lighter messes.
—
New Atlas,
24 June 2026
Griffin’s ninth strikeout of the night punctuated his seven innings, which then became a career-high 7 1/3 when Nationals manager Blake Butera sent him back out to the mound in the eighth at 99 pitches.
—
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
People tried multiple times and then had to back out and go to a different line.
—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for back out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back out
Verb
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After shooting up to an all-time high of over $225, shares of the rocket company have swung wildly back down to Earth, betraying plenty of uncertainty over the company’s dizzying, north-of-$2-trillion market cap.
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The prisoner is placed in restraints and led back down the wing before being transported to Florida State Prison and placed on death watch.
Verb
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Uzbekistan went close to an equaliser before Jaminton Campaz scored in stoppage time, immediately followed by a shot at the other end that thundered back off the crossbar.
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Latvian intelligence argues that Putin is not only looking for ways to pressure NATO countries to back off Ukraine, but may also be receiving distorted assessments from inside his own system — raising the risk that Russia could misjudge Western resolve.
Verb
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Strategic shakeup Usually buying and selling is a cop out, but with where the Red Sox are in their competitive cycle the approach might make some sense.
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The case, which has only recently come to the attention of POST officials, highlights the limits of state oversight even after lawmakers passed significant police reform aimed at forcing dishonest cops out of the profession.
Verb
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Teammate Jordan Henderson, now at his fourth World Cup, recalled Kane scoring twice in the opener against Croatia to match Lineker and mistakenly thought this mark was already in Kane’s sole possession.
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Amon recalled facing questions in 2021 about why Qualcomm was chasing so many rabbits at once, between developing its automotive business, its PC chips and industrial applications.
Cite this Entry
“Back out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20out. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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