as in to back out
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken (out)
Verb
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Italy is underwhelmed at the prospect of being named to the World Cup if Iran backs out.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026 -
The energy put into a quantum system by measurement could be instantly pulled back out by the Hamiltonian and stored in a battery to power other processes, García-Pintos says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This mission, which launched on April 1 and splashed back down to Earth on April 10, sent a crew of four astronauts on a journey around the moon and back.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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He stayed enrolled at his high school in Texas, attending remotely—several years before that became the pandemic norm—and flying back down to the Lone Star State for a couple months after the hockey season ended to finish his classes in person.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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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
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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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Some of their goals from throw-ins, with oppositions backing off in anticipation and possibly fear of one of Pinnock’s long throws, have also come from quick restarts and delivering quality crosses into the box.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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