backout
|back-out|
/ˈbæk.aʊt/
(back out)
withdraw by moving back / pull away
Etymology
'backout' derives from the combination of the verb 'back' and the adverb 'out' in modern English; 'back' (motion toward the rear) + 'out' (away from an interior or point).
The components come from Old English: 'back' from Old English 'bæc' meaning 'rear' or 'back', and 'out' from Old English 'ūt'. The phrasal verb 'back out' (two words) was used in Middle/Late English in literal senses (to move backwards out of a place) and later developed figurative senses (to withdraw). The one-word noun 'backout' arose later (19th–20th century) as a nominalization.
Initially it meant the literal action 'move backward/out' or 'drive out backward'; over time it evolved to commonly mean 'withdraw from a commitment' and, in technical contexts, 'roll back changes'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an act of withdrawing from an agreement or canceling a planned action; a withdrawal or cancellation.
The sudden backout of a major sponsor disrupted the event.
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Noun 2
in computing or software deployment, a rollback or reversal of changes (undoing a recent update or deployment).
After the update caused errors, a backout was performed to restore the previous version.
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Verb 1
to withdraw from a commitment, agreement, or promise; to decide not to do something previously agreed.
They threatened to backout of the deal at the last minute.
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Last updated: 2025/12/26 19:18