Phrasal verb
fink out
Definition
phrasal verb. to fail to do something you promised to do, often because you are scared or lazy.
phrasal verb. to fail to fulfill a commitment or obligation; often implies a lack of courage or reliability in a social or collaborative context.
Examples
“He said he would help me move, but he finked out.”
“We were supposed to go skydiving together, but my brother finked out at the last minute because he was nervous.”
“The coalition began to crumble when several minor parties finked out on the agreed-upon voting strategy during the final session.”
Examples
simple
“He said he would help me move, but he finked out.”
contextual
“We were supposed to go skydiving together, but my brother finked out at the last minute because he was nervous.”
complex
“The coalition began to crumble when several minor parties finked out on the agreed-upon voting strategy during the final session.”
Usage
usually followed by 'on' if an object is mentioned; carries a negative judgment of the person's character.
Teaching tip
this is a more colorful, informal alternative to 'back out' or 'chicken out'; the word 'fink' historically refers to an informer or someone unreliable.
Pitfall
He finked out the deal.
He finked out on the deal.
when mentioning the specific commitment, you must use the preposition 'on' after the phrase.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fink + out (+ on + object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fink-out