as in to chicken (out)
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Recent Examples of wimp out
Some plants wimp out when temperatures soar—but not these heat-tolerant perennials.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 6 June 2025
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
There is a chance that central banks will wimp out and blink, and not be willing to fight inflation.
—Nouriel Roubini, Time, 13 Oct. 2022
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 6 June 2025
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
There is a chance that central banks will wimp out and blink, and not be willing to fight inflation.
—Nouriel Roubini, Time, 13 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wimp out
Verb
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Jones was part of a generation of Yavapai people who refused to back down when the federal government came for their 24,000-acre reservation in the 1970s and for their slot machines in the early 1990s.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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In the summer, visitors can choose from an ice-cold mountain water dip or a slow drift on their backs down the large stream with stunning views of the historical inner city.—
Lea Dlugosch,
Travel + Leisure,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Add in numbness, tingling or pounding headaches, and suddenly checking your phone, sleeping comfortably or backing out of a parking spot becomes a real challenge.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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Despite Lionel Messi backing out of the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, the league’s best defeated the Liga MX All-Stars 3-1 on Wednesday night at Q2 Stadium, home of Major League Soccer’s Austin FC.—
Mark J. Burns,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Johnson, who campaigned against raising property taxes and instead pitched other progressive revenues, backed off of Lightfoot’s policy in his first budget, only to renege last year amid a nearly $1 billion deficit.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
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Several of the members rejoiced at the news that Polis backed off the proposal.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Verb
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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
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The relative lack of substance across the board can’t help feeling like a cop out for a show that’s been capable of a lot more.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wimp out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wimp%20out. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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