verb
1. move out of a space backwards (Freq. 2)
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He backed out of the driveway
• Hypernyms: ↑back
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s
-
Somebody ——s PP
2. make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
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We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
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He backed out of his earlier promise
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The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns
• Syn:
• Derivationally related forms: ↑withdrawer (for: ↑withdraw), ↑withdrawal (for: ↑withdraw)
• Verb Group:
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s
* * *
[verb]
often with of
withdraw, abandon, cancel, give up, go back on, resign, retreat
* * *
I. intransitive verb : to withdraw especially from an agreement, commitment, or contest — often used with of
back out of a fight
agreed to come, then backed out
backed out of their treaty obligations
: the act or an instance of backing out of something
a fight from which there was no chance of a back out
* * *
back out
1. To move out backwards
2. To evade an obligation or undertaking
• • •
Main Entry: ↑back
* * *
ˌback ˈout [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they back out he/she/it backs out present participle backing out past tense backed out past participle backed out] phrasal verb
to decide not to do something you agreed to do
I promised to help and I’m not backing out now.
Main entry: back
* * *
withdraw from a commitment
if he backs out of the deal they'll sue him
* * *
back out [phrasal verb]
: to decide not to do something that you had agreed to do
The deal fell through when investors backed out.
— often + of
The investors backed out of the deal.
• • •
Main Entry: ↑back
Useful english dictionary. 2012.