as in to back out
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken (out)
Verb
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Slowly slide your heel back out, straightening your leg.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
26 Feb. 2026 -
In the late 1990s, SoftBank almost bought a 30% stake in Amazon for $100 million but backed out as Jeff Bezos believed his company was worth 16% more than Son’s valuation.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump backed down from a threat to launch a military invasion following congressional blowback, tumbling stock prices and criticism from America's closest allies.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
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Plus, traditional climbs involve hiking back down the mountain afterward.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Some plants wimp out when temperatures soar—but not these heat-tolerant perennials.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 June 2025
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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
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For years, credit card issuers and other businesses that have backed off using magnetic strips in favor of more secure EMV chips and contactless RFID technology, commonly known as tap to pay.—
Madison Smalstig,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
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Public outcry prompted leadership in a Fayette County community to back off plans to switch one full-time police officer to a part-time role.—
Jennifer Borrasso,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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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 1 Mar. 2026.
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