back out

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Explanation of "Back Out"

The phrase "back out" is a phrasal verb in English. It means to withdraw from a commitment or decision that you made earlier. When someone "backs out," they decide not to do something they had planned or promised to do.

Academic

Verb

1. make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
   • We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
   • He backed out of his earlier promise
   • The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns
2. move out of a space backwards
   • He backed out of the driveway

Synonyms

• retreat
• pull back
• back away
• crawfish
• crawfish out
• pull in one's horns
• withdraw