cancel out
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to stop something from having an effect by doing something else that has the opposite result.
phrasal verb. to neutralize or negate the effect of something by providing an opposing force or value; often used in contexts of mathematics, physics, or balanced outcomes.
The two teams' scores cancel out each other.
The extra money I earned was cancelled out by the high cost of the hotel.
The benefits of the new policy were unfortunately cancelled out by the unforeseen rise in administrative costs and logistical delays.
- offset
- negate
- neutralize
- balance out
- Particles
- out
- Separability
- optional
- Pattern
- cancel + (object) + out
often used when two opposing things are equal in strength or value.
use a visual of a balanced scale to explain how one side 'removes' the weight of the other; contrast with 'delete' or 'erase' which do not require an opposing force.
The costs cancelled out of the profits.The costs cancelled out the profits.the verb is transitive and does not require the preposition 'of' before the object.
Last updated April 24, 2026