Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chickened (out)
Verb
-
Syria then did and Obama backed off a military response.
-
Bessent backed off the idea amid criticism.
Verb
-
Iran backed out of Friday’s talks after Israel attacked Hezbollah overnight Wednesday, three unnamed diplomats told The New York Times.
-
Franco was supposed to be on an X Space Sunday night, but backed out.
Verb
-
Three people had apparently been killed, but the men behind the coup had backed down and Gorbachev was being released.
-
The conflict threatened to explode again on Monday, when Iran and Israel fired missiles at each other before both sides backed down.
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
“Chickened (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chickened%20%28out%29. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
