as in to back out
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken (out)
Verb
-
So if officials back out of the project, Rosenburgh said the NCDOT board will question other projects for the Charlotte area.—
Desiree Mathurin
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026 -
The ice is naturally reflective, sending some of the sun’s rays back out to space.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tehran shows no signs of backing down.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That capsule went on a looping trip around the moon that lasted over three weeks and covered over a million miles before splashing back down in the Pacific.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Rather than throwing those bad cops out of the union and asking for better training so cops will never have to ask what to do when a fellow cop appears to have broken the law, Hendry encourages them.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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
-
The Ravens took a swing in the trade market, but backed off on an acquisition that would have brought star pass rusher Maxx Crosby for two first-round draft picks.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
And some have backed off from a legal fight altogether and sold their refund rights to investment firms, often at a deep discount, figuring that getting something is better than risk getting nothing.—
Alison Graham Larson,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Chicken (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken%20%28out%29. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
