cry off
To abandon something that one has promised to do. Andrew was supposed to help me move today, but he cried off this morning, to my great disappointment.
cry off
Break or withdraw from a promise or agreement, as in We thought we'd bought the car, but the owner cried off at the last minute. [Late 1700s]
cry off
v. To decide to break a commitment or promise: My volleyball partner cried off at the last moment and forced me to cancel the game.