Phrasal verb
cancel out
Definition
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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“The two teams' scores cancel out each other.”
contextual
“The extra money I earned was cancelled out by the high cost of the hotel.”
complex
“The benefits of the new policy were unfortunately cancelled out by the unforeseen rise in administrative costs and logistical delays.”
Usage
often used when two opposing things are equal in strength or value.
Teaching tip
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.
Pitfall
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
cancel + (object) + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cancel-out