chicken (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken (out)
Verb
  • By the time Sega backed out of the hardware race post-Dreamcast, Shinobi mostly limped on with a couple of 3D entries for PlayStation and Nintendo platforms before fading into obscurity.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The driver was trying to back out, but the tires were just spinning in the mud.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An opportunity to shove the New York Yankees back down in the standings with the clubs meeting for the regular season’s final time.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Despite mounting pressure, Corpus — the county’s first Latina sheriff — shows no signs of backing down.
    Ryan Macasero, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.
    Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
  • But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.
    Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Some plants wimp out when temperatures soar—but not these heat-tolerant perennials.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 6 June 2025
  • These thick, long-lasting steamers will never wimp out mid-shower, and the cute packaging sure doesn't hurt either.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In both cases, Tibetans immediately backed off.
    Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Discomfort is a sign to back off.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Chicken (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken%20%28out%29. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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