beg off

Related to beg off: On a par, run into, cadge, stave off, give rise to

beg off

To ask to be excused from an obligation or invitation. A noun or pronoun can be used between "beg" and "off." She had to beg off that project when she realized that it interfered with her normal duties. I begged the dinner party off last night because I was feeling ill.
See also: beg, off
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

beg something off

to decline an invitation politely. She begged the trip to the zoo off. We all begged off the dinner invitation.
See also: beg, off

beg off (on something)

to ask to be released from something; to refuse an invitation. I'm sorry, but I'll be out of town on the day of your party. I'll have to beg off on your invitation. I have an important meeting, so I'll have to beg off.
See also: beg, off
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

beg off

Ask to be released from an obligation; turn down an invitation. For example, He's asked me out to dinner three times already, but I have to beg off again, or Mother couldn't take on another committee and so she begged off. [Early 1700s]
See also: beg, off
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

beg off

v.
To excuse oneself from something, such as an obligation: We were invited to stay for dinner, but we had to beg off.
See also: beg, off
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • have to beg off
  • I'll have to beg off
  • be badly off
  • badly off
  • base off (of) (something else)
  • (I've) got to take off
  • beg pardon
  • beg (something) from (someone)
  • beg from
  • be off for sth
References in periodicals archive
More than finances though, professors beg off from serving as administrators because they know how hard and thankless the job can be.
Perry's acronyms
'I was no longer with the court when the martial law case came up, but had I been with the court I would've voted with the majority as a member of the majority but I didn't want to speculate on the motivation of those in the minority so I respectfully beg off from answering,' Brion said.
3 magistrates think Sereno saw no danger of holding Maute trials in Mindanao
When I became his regular go-to ATM, I began to beg off. He knew I also have mortgages to pay and other personal expenses.
Time to finally let go of that 'lemon'
I beg off sana, but the protocol, people say, you have to be there,' he said at a midnight news conference in Davao City.
Duterte won't stick it to China in Laos Asean meet
Lassiter was the fourth player to beg off from the national pool because of illness or injury, joining Greg Slaughter, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and point guard Paul Lee.
Lassiter, sapped by pneumonia, out of Gilas
While he initially accepted, he had to beg off later especially since he had to visit the Philippines in 2015 to commiserate with the victims of typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan that swept the Visayas in November 2013.
Pope Francis to address Church congress in Cebu via video
Fajardo has been forced to beg off from national team duties due to plantar fasciitis on both feet, an injury he incurred through the course of the PBA season.
June Mar Fajardo: I'll skip Gilas duties for now