cancel out

phrasal verb

canceled out or cancelled out; canceling out or cancelling out; cancels out

: to reduce the effect of (something) : to be equal to (something) in force or importance but have an opposite effect

The costs cancel out the benefits.

Examples of cancel out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That carbon negativity is meant to cancel out the climate impact of hard-to-abate emissions from heavy industry, transport, and agriculture. —

Justine Calma, The Verge, 13 June 2024 The interior of the hilltop mansion looks like a preserved Mad Men set, complete with actual Jon Hamm walking around with a wife, except Hailey Bieber is also there, which sort of cancels out the period-perfect effect. —

Rachel Handler, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024 Another recent study determined that 91% of last year’s heat burst was because of climate change and 8% because of El Niño, but said the reduction in sulfur emissions was effectively canceled out by emissions from raging wildfires. —

Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2024 But rather than being an enticing factor for shoppers, these loyalty programs are instead being canceled out by competitors that have essentially introduced the same programs. —

Fortune Editors, Fortune, 4 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for cancel out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cancel out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.