as in cowards
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
a staunch hawk during the drumbeat for war, he proved to be a chicken when it came to actually fighting it
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Recent Examples of chickens
Whether on purpose or happy accident, the scent often draws consumers directly to the hot case of ready-to-eat chickens.
—
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
The complaint alleges that Costco violated consumer laws in California, where the chickens were purchased, and in Washington, where Costco is headquartered.
—The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The only animals Cook’s crew saw apart from wild birds were rats and chickens, both eaten.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Another neighbor, Amber Udasco, said the family had a large dog that barked and that the family kept chickens on the side of their house.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The islanders kept chickens and grew taro, yams, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and bananas.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Ian Frazier About 26 billion chickens occupy Earth, but apart from the lucky ones in backyards, most are condemned to the hellscape that is industrial farming.
—Ricardo Reis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Jan. 2026
Bird flu, a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus, affects poultry — including chickens, ducks and turkeys — and some wild bird species, including geese and shorebirds, the department said.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
The chickens and cows Mills owns live in his backyard.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
The complaint alleges that Costco violated consumer laws in California, where the chickens were purchased, and in Washington, where Costco is headquartered.
—The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The only animals Cook’s crew saw apart from wild birds were rats and chickens, both eaten.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Another neighbor, Amber Udasco, said the family had a large dog that barked and that the family kept chickens on the side of their house.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The islanders kept chickens and grew taro, yams, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and bananas.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Ian Frazier About 26 billion chickens occupy Earth, but apart from the lucky ones in backyards, most are condemned to the hellscape that is industrial farming.
—Ricardo Reis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Jan. 2026
Bird flu, a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus, affects poultry — including chickens, ducks and turkeys — and some wild bird species, including geese and shorebirds, the department said.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
The chickens and cows Mills owns live in his backyard.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chickens
cowards
Noun
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Put beaks on the helmets, you cowards.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chickens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chickens. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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