play chicken
The term "play chicken" originates from a daring game where drivers head towards each other to see who swerves first. It is now widely used to describe risky standoffs.
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Definition
B2General
(informal, idiomatic)To engage in a risky confrontation where each participant waits for the other to back down first.
Example
- Both companies are playing chicken with their pricing strategies, waiting to see who will lower their prices first.
B2Driving
(informal, slang)A dangerous game where drivers head towards each other to see who will swerve away first.
Example
- They decided to play chicken on the deserted road, risking a head-on collision.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "play chicken":
count chickenschicken runchicken coopspring chickenhen and chickenrubber chickenchicken wingchicken feedcock featherfly the coopchicken legchick boylay an eggchicken wirechicken filletplay aroundchicken rollprairie chickenchicken stripschucky eggplay fightchicken nugget