bottle out

phrasal verb

bottled out; bottling out; bottles out
British slang
: to become too afraid to do something : to lose one's nerve
I was going to ask him but then I bottled out.

Examples of bottle out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Reema Mahmoud’s Selfie begins with a shot of the Mediterranean Sea and ends with the filmmaker sending a letter in a bottle out into the water. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025 The Towson man, an avid traveler with an affinity for cruises, estimates he’s sent dozens of bottles out to sea, each with a note inside sharing his name and contact information. — Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 4 Dec. 2024

Rhymes for bottle out

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Browse Nearby Words

bottle opener
bottle out
bottle palm
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Cite this Entry

“Bottle out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle%20out. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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