wimps out
Loses their nerve
To wimp out is to back down from something out of fear or lack of nerve—to chicken out: He was going to ask her out but wimped out at the last second.
The phrase suggests weakness or cowardice, often for avoiding something that isn't actually dangerous: Don't wimp out on us now.
- backs downWithdraws from confrontation
- freezeBecome solid from cold
- gets cold feetBecomes afraid to proceed
- shrinkDecrease in size
- runs scaredEscapes due to fear
pusillanimous · timidity · lily-livered · yellow belly · craven · backing down · retreat · turns tail · tremble · faint-hearted · gutless · cowardly · capitulating · throws in the towel · soft · cringe · spineless · scaredy cat
wimps outsteps up
Increases or takes responsibility
faces the music · bites the bullet · mans up · takes the plunge · goes for it
wimps outperseveres
Continues despite difficulty
soldiers on · pushes through · digs in · powers through · doubles down
wimps outfollows through
Completes what was started
commits · perseveres · pushes through · doubles down · delivers
wimp, wimps, wimpy, wimpish, wimpiness, out, outs, outed, outing