chicken out

phrasal verb

chickened out; chickening out; chickens out
informal
: to decide not to do something because one is afraid
He was going to ask her on a date, but he chickened out at the last minute.

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Cite this Entry

“Chicken out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken%20out. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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