back out

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌbæk ˈaʊt/
US: /ˌbæk ˈaʊt/

  1. To decide that you are not going to do something that you had agreed to do.

    1. I can't back out now I have promised to help. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company backed out of the deal at the last minute due to financial concerns. [ ] [ ]

  2. To move a vehicle backwards.

    1. He had to back out of the driveway carefully. [ ] [ ]
    2. She tried to back out of the parking space, but another car was too close. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

retreat abandon cancel reverse withdraw

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "back out" in English means: To decide that you are not going to do something that you had agreed to do., To move a vehicle backwards..

The phonetic transcription of "back out" is /ˌbæk ˈaʊt/ in British English and /ˌbæk ˈaʊt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "back out": retreat, abandon, cancel, reverse, withdraw.

Example usage of "back out": "I can't back out now I have promised to help.". More examples on the page.