have an out

have an out idiom
Have a means of escape or an excuse, as in I'm supposed to go to the meeting, but I have an out—Sam invited me first to come to his wedding. One can also give someone an out, as in She was hoping someone would give her an out; otherwise she'd be stuck visiting relatives all afternoon. [Slang; early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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