cancel out

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cancel out

The two opposing forces cancel out, resulting in no movement.

Definition

Verb: - To neutralize or offset the effect, force, or value of something; to make something no longer valid or effective by counterbalancing it with an equal and opposite force or factor.

Usage

The verb "cancel out" is used to describe a situation where one thing negates or nullifies the effect of another. It implies a mutual or one-sided counteraction that results in a net effect of zero or a return to a previous state. It is often used in mathematical, scientific, financial, and general contexts.

Examples
  • Verb:
    • Adding five and then subtracting five cancels out to zero.
    • The environmental benefits of the new policy are canceled out by its high economic cost.
    • His apology was sincere, but it didn't cancel out the hurt he had caused.
    • The two opposing forces cancel each other out, resulting in no movement.
Advanced Usage
  • "to cancel each other out": Used when two or more factors neutralize each other's effects.
    • In the debate, their strong arguments seemed to cancel each other out, leaving the audience undecided.
  • "cancel out the noise": Used in technical contexts like audio engineering or physics.
    • Noise-canceling headphones use a microphone to generate a sound wave that cancels out the ambient noise.
Variants and Related Words
  • Cancel (verb): To decide or announce that (a planned event) will not take place; to invalidate or annul. (Note: This is the base verb. "Cancel out" is a specific phrasal verb emphasizing neutralization.)
  • Negate (verb): To nullify; to make ineffective.
  • Offset (verb): To compensate for or counterbalance.
  • Neutralize (verb): To make neutral; to counteract the effect of.
Synonyms
  • Counterbalance
  • Nullify
  • Neutralize
  • Offset
  • Compensate for
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Cancel out is itself a phrasal verb. The base verb "cancel" can form others, but they do not share the specific meaning of neutralization (e.g., means to fail to attend a meeting with them).
Related Idioms
  • A wash: An idiom meaning a situation where gains and losses balance each other out, resulting in no net change. This is conceptually similar to the effect of things canceling out.
    • After calculating all the expenses and rebates, the project's financial impact was a wash.
cancel out

The two opposing forces cancel out, resulting in no movement.

Verb
  1. wipe out the effect of something
    • The new tax effectively cancels out my raise
    • The `A' will cancel out the `C' on your record

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