bottle out meaning

bottle out BrE informal to suddenly decide not to do something that you had agreed or promised to do, because you are afraid or nervous - used especially to show disapproval:
▪ You said you wanted a fight - it's too late to bottle out now!
▪ The Blair government seem to be bottling out on its promises to ban fox-hunting.
■ SIMILAR TO: chicken out

• bottle:    Noun: bottle  ...
• bottle it:    [British slang]Ver ...
• the bottle:    [American slang]dr ...

Examples

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1. please put the bottle out of his reach
2. he threw an empty bottle out of the window
3. we always wipe the bottles out before returning them to the milkman
4. they make bottles out of glass
5. "thanks-it was from my boyfriend . here, try some, " she said, holding the bottle out for me