1. Make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
   "He backed out of his earlier promise";
   - retreat, pull back, back away, crawfish [N. Amer, informal], crawfish out [N. Amer, informal], pull in one's horns [informal], withdraw
    
2. Move out of a space backwards
   "He backed out of the driveway"

Derived forms: backs out, backed out, backing out

See also: back

Type of: back, break, break off, cease, discontinue, give up, lay off, quit, stop, surcease [archaic]