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Business English vocabulary · Negotiations

Back out

Meaning in business english, with examples

phrasal verbCommon term

In business english, back out means: To withdraw from a commitment or arrangement already made.

In Turkish: taahhüdünden vazgeçmek, anlaşmadan çekilmek

How it is used

Usually followed by of plus the agreement or plan. It describes withdrawal; it does not say whether withdrawal is allowed or what consequences follow.

Example sentences

  1. The partner wants to back out of the joint event after agreeing to cover half the venue cost.

    The earlier commitment makes this a withdrawal, not merely a rejection of an initial invitation.

  2. We cannot simply back out because the schedule is inconvenient; we need to discuss the agreement first.

    The speaker treats the existing commitment as something requiring attention before withdrawal.

Common collocations

  • back out of an agreement
  • threaten to back out
  • contractA formal written agreement between two or more parties that sets out what each side must do and can be enforced by law.
  • walk awayTo end a negotiation or leave a deal because the terms on offer are not acceptable to you.

More terms: Negotiations

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