To "zoom out" means to move back or away from something, often in a visual representation such as an image, map, or graph. When you zoom out, you are increasing the scale and reducing the level of detail, allowing you to see more of the overall context or bigger picture. This can be done physically with a camera lens, digitally on a computer screen using a mouse scroll wheel or keyboard shortcuts, or even mentally by stepping back from a situation to gain perspective. The phrase is often used metaphorically to describe taking a broader view of something and considering the bigger picture rather than just focusing on small details.