cold feet

noun

Definition of cold feetnext
as in uncertainty

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cold feet That has sent maritime insurance rates through the roof and given some financiers and shipping companies cold feet about tempting fate and navigating through the troubled waters. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 June 2026 As for whether Smirnoff-Skyy's flair might give some buyers cold feet, listing agent Adelaida Mejia of Vanguard Properties isn't losing any sleep over it. — Itay Hod, CBS News, 9 June 2026 Advertisers began to get cold feet about the vigilante-like tactics used to investigate alleged predators. — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 Or, sometimes the non-comics get cold feet on a certain joke. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 May 2026 The $10 billion that Cursor keeps even if the deal doesn’t happen looks, to my traditional M&A reporter brain, like the largest breakup fee on record (a smart move, given Musk’s penchant for getting cold feet). — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026 But Borgli isn’t just delivering a biting satire on the ultimate case of cold feet. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026 Did OpenAI’s discontinuation of Sora force Disney out of the deal, or did Disney get cold feet first? — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026 And Indonesia isn’t the only country getting cold feet. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold feet
  1. uncertainty
  2. doubt
  3. suspense
  4. dread
  5. angst
  6. torment
  7. foreboding
  8. upset
Noun
  • But the idea of luxury accessories serving as emotional armor amid economic uncertainty clearly resonates with consumers and marketeers capitalizing on the phenomenon.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • The restrictions were lifted last week, ending a period of regulatory uncertainty that limited availability for users worldwide.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Definition of uncertainty
Noun
  • Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie looked like Serie A regulars, Folarin Balogun’s finishing was on song and Gio Reyna put to rest any doubts about his selection by channelling his inner Luka Modric.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • As tech stocks waver on doubts the AI boom will prove sustainable, India is emerging as a safe haven for global investors looking to hedge their bets and weather the volatility, Bloomberg wrote.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of doubt
Noun
  • In film scores, its low tones helped create suspense, grandeur, danger, or emotional weight.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026
  • The suspense heading into July has centered on whether the semis could cool off and reset without a messy liquidation that destabilized the rest of the tape.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 7 July 2026
Definition of suspense
Noun
  • Unlike the 1960 film, where Mizuno narrates his own tragedy, Yeon and Katayama’s new Vapor is an object of mystery and dread rather than the story’s protagonist.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • Without a sense of dread and horror, From just becomes a kind of supernatural soap opera where everyone is angry at one another all the time.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • The trigger is not typically a specific threat to someone’s career, but broader angst, Pennington says, based on her AI tools’ analysis of the emotional tenor of the conversations.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
  • There was some online angst over whether Swift was distracting from football — while the NFL itself capitalized on her fandom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of angst
Noun
  • Sore from the torment of her family’s banishment, Espinoza feels the pulse of current events.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Many a knave is rich, sleek, and honored, while the just man is poor, hated, and in torment.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Definition of torment
Noun
  • As a result, the duo has written an exposé chock-full of anecdotes and reporting that range from the foreboding and concerning to the voyeuristic and absurd.
    — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
  • After dazzling in their opening match of this World Cup and dispatching Croatia 4-2, some felt a sense of foreboding when Ghana held Thomas Tuchel’s side to a 0-0 draw in their second.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of foreboding
Noun
  • The upsets for oil markets raise uncertainties over inflation and other economic trends.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • When Mostafa Zico doubled Egypt’s lead after a sweeping move in the 67th minute, Egypt was on the brink of one of the great World Cup upsets.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 8 July 2026
Definition of upset

Browse Nearby Words

cold-eyed
cold feet
cold fish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cold feet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20feet. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All