Phrasal verb
bottle out
Definition
phrasal verb. to decide not to do something at the last moment because you are afraid.
phrasal verb. to lose one's nerve and withdraw from a commitment or intended action; typically carries a negative or critical connotation regarding the subject's courage.
Examples
“He was going to jump, but he bottled out.”
“She planned to tell her boss the truth, but she bottled out when she saw his angry face.”
“Despite weeks of rigorous preparation for the solo performance, the young pianist bottled out just as the curtains were about to rise.”
Examples
simple
“He was going to jump, but he bottled out.”
contextual
“She planned to tell her boss the truth, but she bottled out when she saw his angry face.”
complex
“Despite weeks of rigorous preparation for the solo performance, the young pianist bottled out just as the curtains were about to rise.”
Usage
informal British English; often used when someone fails to complete a challenge or a difficult conversation.
Teaching tip
this is a very common British idiom; you can link it to the noun 'bottle' which is slang for 'courage' (e.g., 'to lose your bottle').
Pitfall
He bottled out the competition.
He bottled out of the competition.
if you mention the activity, you must use the preposition 'of' after the phrase.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bottle + out (+ of + object)