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
Agriculture science teacher Katie McMahon oversees 59 students plus alpacas, cows, ducks, goats, chickens and horses.
—
Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Hot rotisserie chickens, which typically cost $5-$9 for a whole chicken, are often significantly cheaper than cold ones.
—Terell Bailey, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
No wonder wise chickens withdraw to the coop without prompting at cockshut.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Under current law, grocery stores must cool cooked rotisserie chickens to comply with SNAP rules, which National Chicken Council president Harrison Kircher described as a waste of energy that also reduces food quality.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
From a Fighting Ring to a Sanctuary Stage In 2025, authorities broke up a major cockfighting operation in Pennsylvania, rescuing around 300 chickens and filing more than 300 charges related to animal fighting and cruelty.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
The organization drove more than 30 hours through harsh winter conditions to transport nine of the chickens to permanent homes across the Midwest and West Coast.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
In 2025, authorities uncovered a large cockfighting operation in Pennsylvania, rescuing around 300 chickens and filing more than 300 charges related to animal fighting and cruelty.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
In a press release, the chain shared that many of these new Express orders include everyday essentials that folks run out of, like water, produce, rotisserie chickens, and paper goods—not just one-off convenience items.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Hot rotisserie chickens, which typically cost $5-$9 for a whole chicken, are often significantly cheaper than cold ones.
—Terell Bailey, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
No wonder wise chickens withdraw to the coop without prompting at cockshut.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Under current law, grocery stores must cool cooked rotisserie chickens to comply with SNAP rules, which National Chicken Council president Harrison Kircher described as a waste of energy that also reduces food quality.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
From a Fighting Ring to a Sanctuary Stage In 2025, authorities broke up a major cockfighting operation in Pennsylvania, rescuing around 300 chickens and filing more than 300 charges related to animal fighting and cruelty.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
The organization drove more than 30 hours through harsh winter conditions to transport nine of the chickens to permanent homes across the Midwest and West Coast.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
In 2025, authorities uncovered a large cockfighting operation in Pennsylvania, rescuing around 300 chickens and filing more than 300 charges related to animal fighting and cruelty.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
In a press release, the chain shared that many of these new Express orders include everyday essentials that folks run out of, like water, produce, rotisserie chickens, and paper goods—not just one-off convenience items.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chickens
cowards
Noun
-
Parties aside, the majority of our legislators are cowards.—
Sam Meas,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chickens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chickens. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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