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 Desgorges is worried the images of violence spreading on social media and news channels could temporarily give American producers cold feet about working in France for the time being. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 People with chronically cold feet are the most likely beneficiaries, Mathur noted, because the mechanism depends on warming feet that are too cool to release heat efficiently. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026 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 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
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
  • The excellent Benton plays Paulina — the Regina George-esque queen bee at a girls’ high school in 1986 Ghana — with snide stares, biting put-downs and internalized torment.
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Barring no upsets over the next two weeks (which is far from a given), the winner of that game very well could decide who goes to Charlotte.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Garrett Rogan sacked Derek Morgan on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line and the clock ran out to give Villanova a second straight upset of Lehigh, winning 24-18 on Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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