as in backing off
to break a promise or agreement
she backed out on her offer to help with the wedding planning
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Recent Examples of backing out
After backing out of an agreement to trade first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 for Crosby, DeCosta was decried as dishonorable, dirty and duplicitous, especially after Baltimore signed another accomplished edge rusher, Trey Hendrickson, to a free-agent deal the following day.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Investigators say Horner accidentally struck the child with his delivery truck while backing out of the driveway.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Florida and Texas metros with the highest share of stale listings are all solid buyer’s markets, where buyers have the upper hand over sellers and can negotiate lower prices as well as backing out of unfavorable deals.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Buyers are also increasingly backing out of deals, rather than settling for homes that may not be the perfect fit.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Lost my respect by backing out.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
In America, a property owner backing out of a location agreement can lead to legal action and is rare.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
After backing out of Monday's Dawson's Creek cast reunion in New York City due to illness, James Van Der Beek still made a surprise appearance at the event in a sweet video message for attendees and his fellow cast members.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
This could either result in investors backing out of purchasing the debt, or demanding higher interest payments to offset the risk.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Investigators say Horner accidentally struck the child with his delivery truck while backing out of the driveway.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Florida and Texas metros with the highest share of stale listings are all solid buyer’s markets, where buyers have the upper hand over sellers and can negotiate lower prices as well as backing out of unfavorable deals.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Buyers are also increasingly backing out of deals, rather than settling for homes that may not be the perfect fit.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Lost my respect by backing out.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
In America, a property owner backing out of a location agreement can lead to legal action and is rare.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
After backing out of Monday's Dawson's Creek cast reunion in New York City due to illness, James Van Der Beek still made a surprise appearance at the event in a sweet video message for attendees and his fellow cast members.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
This could either result in investors backing out of purchasing the debt, or demanding higher interest payments to offset the risk.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing out
Verb
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Some of their goals from throw-ins, with oppositions backing off in anticipation and possibly fear of one of Pinnock’s long throws, have also come from quick restarts and delivering quality crosses into the box.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Larsen, meanwhile, isn’t backing down.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The Senators aren’t backing down in the face of playing Carolina, seeking to build off losing to Toronto in six games in the first round last year.—
John Wawrow,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20out. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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