walk out on

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To abandon or desert someone, especially a spouse.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bỏ rơi hoặc bỏ mặc ai đó, đặc biệt là vợ hoặc chồng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: informal

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

What would you think if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “walk out on” mean?

To abandon or desert someone, especially a spouse.

Is “walk out on” formal or informal?

walk out on is generally informal.