1
as in settling (down)
to become still and orderly
stop making that racket, and just chill out!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relaxing
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
if you don't chill out, you're going to get an ulcer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of chilling out
What had seemed like a good way of chilling out was actually plunging me into a kind of crisis.
—
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
If holiday burnout has you in the mood for rest and relaxation, the star advises taking a break to enjoy one of her favorite holiday traditions—chilling out at home with the family.
—Essence, 15 Dec. 2025
As the moon and Venus connect, chilling out doesn’t have to be a snooze-fest.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Screenshots of the viral video show Punky bear chilling out in the poster's pool.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
That chilling out and taking it slow means staying away from pushing themselves and well within their comfort zone.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
If holiday burnout has you in the mood for rest and relaxation, the star advises taking a break to enjoy one of her favorite holiday traditions—chilling out at home with the family.
—Essence, 15 Dec. 2025
As the moon and Venus connect, chilling out doesn’t have to be a snooze-fest.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Screenshots of the viral video show Punky bear chilling out in the poster's pool.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
That chilling out and taking it slow means staying away from pushing themselves and well within their comfort zone.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chilling out
Verb
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And with its options for kayaking, standup paddleboarding, sailing, and waterskiing—plus a boardwalk for strolling and sandy beaches for relaxing—Mission Bay Park is a great spot for active families.—
Kara Williams,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Meander the historic district, then break out your boats or find a picnic bench along the shore to take in a few relaxing hours in LaGrange.—
Carolanne Griffith Roberts,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With savings up to 86 percent on complete sets and lots of cooling options for warm nights, there are some major bedding deals lurking on the site.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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Unfamiliar with the risks, the operators shut down the reactor’s power-regulating mechanism and its emergency core cooling system (ECCS).—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After winding down the Catalog, Brand spent the ensuing decades looking for this kind of shortcut.—
Alec Nevala-Lee,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
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Now the debate seems to be winding down with the latest experimental measurements, described in two recent papers published in the journals Nature and Physical Review Letters, respectively.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the ceasefire, oil prices plunged and bond yields fell, loosening up some of the cost crunch for consumers and businesses alike.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Dulude suggests loosening up the food particles on the microwave walls by placing a bowl of water inside with half a lemon and using a high setting to boil the water.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chilling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chilling%20out. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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