back out vs cut someone loose

back out

verb
  • To withdraw from something one has agreed to do. 

  • To exit a mode or function. 

  • To draw from behind the back [+accusative = a knife etc.] (as also bare back). 

  • To undo (a change). 

  • Coordinate terms: cancel, call off, get cold feet 

  • To reverse (a vehicle) from a confined space. 

  • See also: sell short 

  • To dare (someone) to not withdraw from a challenge. 

  • To bet on someone losing. 

  • Coordinate term: scare off 

cut someone loose

verb
  • To let someone go from something, such as a position, relationship, or obligation. 

How often have the words back out and cut someone loose occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )