as in to back out
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken (out)
Verb
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In Oklahoma City, after several protests and a packed city council meeting, a company that had planned to sell its warehouse to ICE backed out of the deal – a move cheered by Republican Mayor David Holt.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026 -
By 2025, average maturities had maturities had stretched back out to 71 months.—
Daniel J. Arbess,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Negotiations have been stalled for months, and neither side appears close to backing down.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Rodman, like many Black women in her position, wasn’t backing down.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
25 Jan. 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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The Boston Celtics also retreated with their interest, while the Timberwolves, after showing a willingness to offer two second-round picks for Ellis, backed off as their Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit ramped up and became the priority.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Reduce policy uncertainty, back off the tariffs, stop changing the rules, address the supply side and pay more attention to why wages have stalled out.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
30 Jan. 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 7 Feb. 2026.
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