beg off
verb
begged off; begging off; begs off
intransitive verb
: to ask to be excused from something
transitive verb
: to ask or gain permission to be excused from
begged off attending the party
beg-off
ˈbeg-ˌȯf 
noun 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Because many of us can’t exactly beg off Zoom calls, using them to our advantage can help. 
Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 7 Feb. 2022 Howard Wolfson, a Bloomberg adviser who also worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign, told the Washington Post’s Michael Scherer that the seventy-seven-year old Bloomberg would beg off the first four contests. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2019 Most athletes beg off chores involving tennis politics. Elizabeth Weil, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2019 Talbot: While a lot of players begged off of playing for Team USA this summer — even DeMar DeRozan isn’t playing — White has made the most of his time so far. Nick Talbot, ExpressNews.com, 10 Aug. 2019 Carroll joked when begging off on the invitation and promising to return the next day to pick up Egan, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported at the time. Washington Post, 23 June 2018 But John Glenn never begged off anything in his life. Bob Greene, WSJ, 5 June 2018 Think of all the ways to beg off such an assignment. Bob Greene, WSJ, 5 June 2018 The New York Times reported that Trump had ordered Mueller to be fired in June, only to beg off after White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign in protest. Alex Shephard, New Republic, 30 Jan. 2018 See More
Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 7 Feb. 2022 Howard Wolfson, a Bloomberg adviser who also worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign, told the Washington Post’s Michael Scherer that the seventy-seven-year old Bloomberg would beg off the first four contests. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2019 Most athletes beg off chores involving tennis politics. Elizabeth Weil, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2019 Talbot: While a lot of players begged off of playing for Team USA this summer — even DeMar DeRozan isn’t playing — White has made the most of his time so far. Nick Talbot, ExpressNews.com, 10 Aug. 2019 Carroll joked when begging off on the invitation and promising to return the next day to pick up Egan, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported at the time. Washington Post, 23 June 2018 But John Glenn never begged off anything in his life. Bob Greene, WSJ, 5 June 2018 Think of all the ways to beg off such an assignment. Bob Greene, WSJ, 5 June 2018 The New York Times reported that Trump had ordered Mueller to be fired in June, only to beg off after White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign in protest. Alex Shephard, New Republic, 30 Jan. 2018 See More Word History
First Known Use
1788, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
beg off
verb
as in to cry off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cry off
- take back
- recall
- wimp out
- retract
- back out
- back down
- recant
- withdraw
- forswear
- disavow
- back off
- unsay
- cop out
- abjure
- abnegate
- foreswear
- backtrack
- backpedal
- repudiate
- fink out
- chicken (out)
- renege
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- adhere (to)
- comply (with)
- satisfy
- follow through (with)
- keep
- fulfill
- honor
- fulfil