cold feet

noun

Definition of cold feetnext
as in uncertainty

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cold feet But frescos don’t put shoes on a poor child’s cold feet and sketches of flying machines didn’t put Orville Wright in the sky. — Christopher Koopman, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 The paper added police were investigating whether the suspect got cold feet or whether making such a call was part of the plan. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 A couple days ago a THR report claimed that Universal was getting cold feet over releasing Alex Gibney’s Musk documentary in international territories. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026 As for whether Smirnoff-Skyy's flair might give some buyers cold feet, listing agent Adelaida Mejia of Vanguard Properties isn't losing any sleep over it. — Itay Hod, CBS News, 9 June 2026 Advertisers began to get cold feet about the vigilante-like tactics used to investigate alleged predators. — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 Or, sometimes the non-comics get cold feet on a certain joke. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 May 2026 The $10 billion that Cursor keeps even if the deal doesn’t happen looks, to my traditional M&A reporter brain, like the largest breakup fee on record (a smart move, given Musk’s penchant for getting cold feet). — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026 But Borgli isn’t just delivering a biting satire on the ultimate case of cold feet. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold feet
  1. uncertainty
  2. doubt
  3. suspense
  4. dread
  5. angst
  6. torment
  7. foreboding
  8. upset
Noun
  • Admirers viewed him as a capable leader who could steer the nation through global uncertainties, the image carefully crafted by the mainstream media.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Taiwanese officials and companies described these systems as a way to introduce uncertainty and danger for an approaching force.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncertainty
Noun
  • Election deniers are using public records to sow doubt in California.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Those fiscal strains come as political volatility and social unrest raise doubts about the government’s ability to deliver measures aimed at stabilizing the public finances.
    — Jenni Reid,Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of doubt
Noun
  • To be fair, the fault here lies equally with the scripts, which dump information without first creating suspense.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The holiday atmosphere can provide an extra element of suspense when done right, as in these four notable films.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspense
Noun
  • The singer-songwriter’s seventh album is their wackiest and funniest to date, with a madcap gleam coursing through its synth-pop portraits of lovable weirdos and suburban dread.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Moton lingered on the turf for a while, punching the turf in pain and dread, before a cart came out to transport him to the locker room.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Nirvana is commonly credited with killing off hair metal, driving the final nail in the gaudy coffin of the 1980s and ushering in a new era of angst and authenticity.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Still, the angst around CoreWeave has made things shaky for other companies that have taken out significant debt in the AI buildout — Oracle’s shares, for instance, which have fallen almost 10 percent in the same timeframe.
    — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of angst
Noun
  • Garland wasted no time giving Clippers fans something to smile about after an offseason of torment and transformation.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, at Cannes, Calvo sat through the screening in a state of torment.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of torment
Noun
  • There were minor changes — more large spiders and other creepy critters were added to one foreboding tunnel — but also some substantial ones designed to increase the attraction’s capacity and reliability.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But this morning an air of foreboding awakened me, and my little fishing barometer was already descending past the 29 mark.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of foreboding
Noun
  • Division 1 contenders Barring late-season collapses or major upsets, the Southern Section Division 1 playoff teams are looking pretty easy to identify.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Upsets, near-upsets and general wackiness; pageantry, pride and good old-fashioned heartbreak.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset

Browse Nearby Words

cold-eyed
cold feet
cold fish
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Cite this Entry

“Cold feet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20feet. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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