Meaning & use

opt out

phrase·Academic

To choose not to take part in something, or to withdraw from a plan or agreement.

See it in a sentence

Employees can opt out of the retirement plan at any time during the year.

She opted out of the group photo and stayed behind to finish her work.

A note on using this word

Opt out is often used as a hyphenated noun or adjective, as in an opt-out form or opt-out clause.

Words with a similar meaning

withdrawdecline

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “opt out”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.