chickened (out)

verb

past tense of chicken (out)
as in backed off

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chickened (out)
  1. backed off
  2. backed out
  3. backed down
Verb
  • Cinema United, the movie theater trade organization, once vociferously opposed to the merger, backed off Tuesday and called for a settlement to avoid industry uncertainty.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The Los Angeles district attorney has backed off felony charges against a police officer who secretly recorded his colleagues making racist remarks after facing criticism the response was too harsh and could deter whistleblowers from coming forward.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of backed off
Verb
  • She was briefly considered to be a Taiwan People's Party legislator candidate, but had backed out owing to questions about her loyalty and affiliation with China.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Porter Town Council granted Weiss a Planned Unit Development (PUD) agreement for the property, but the developer backed out.
    — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of backed out
Verb
  • The gambit worked, as Tech and Sorsby backed down amidst intense national backlash.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Worried about the potential fine — which, Dantona noted, the city worker had been polite about explaining — the homeowner backed down and asked Brodeur to cut back the grass.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of 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.

Browse Nearby Words

chicken
chickened (out)
chicken feed
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Cite this Entry

“Chickened (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chickened%20%28out%29. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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