chickened (out)

Definition of chickened (out)next
past tense of chicken (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chickened (out)
Verb
  • 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
  • In the end, the council came to a resolution on a police contract and backed off plans to change any positions.
    Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But Viacom backed out of the deal.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 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
  • Apple never backed down and the FBI found a way to unlock the phone anyway, using bugs that already existed in Apple’s code, effectively providing the back door that law enforcement sought in the first place.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Google appears to have backed down in its AI dispute with Disney.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
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.

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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 11 Mar. 2026.

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