cancel out

cancel out (third-person singular simple present cancels out, present participle cancelling out or canceling out, simple past and past participle cancelled out or canceled out)

1. (transitive) To neutralize the effect of.

   We can cancel the aberration out by adding another filter.

   • 1960 March, “Talking of Trains: The problem of the peak”, in Trains Illustrated, page 130:

     […] there is every likelihood that the current pattern of increase would eventually cancel out each expensive improvement, as has happened with the ten-car scheme.

   • 2011 January 29, Ian Hughes, “Southampton 1 - 2 Man Utd”, in BBC‎:

     The lead was cancelled out when Owen nodded in from close range.

2. (intransitive) Of two or more things: to neutralize each other's effect.

   Love and hate cancel out.

• lactucone