as in to back out
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken (out)
Verb
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In Oklahoma City, after several protests and a packed city council meeting, a company that had planned to sell its warehouse to ICE backed out of the deal – a move cheered by Republican Mayor David Holt.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026 -
By 2025, average maturities had maturities had stretched back out to 71 months.—
Daniel J. Arbess,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Crashes, luge athletes will tell you, are part of the game, a necessary teaching tool that helps young lugers learn how to navigate sliding on their back down an icy course, sometimes faster than 90 miles per hour.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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This will help to push the warm air that rises toward the ceiling back down toward floor level.—
Erin Huffstetler,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
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But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Some plants wimp out when temperatures soar—but not these heat-tolerant perennials.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 June 2025
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These thick, long-lasting steamers will never wimp out mid-shower, and the cute packaging sure doesn't hurt either.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But a large number of job gains might make Federal Reserve policymakers back off any further interest-rate cuts this year.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Since then, the White House has been negotiating with its trading partners, backing off on some of the more aggressive charges while maintaining tough talk on issues.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Chicken (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken%20%28out%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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