plural chins
1
: the lower portion of the face lying below the lower lip and including the prominence of the lower jaw
2
: the surface beneath or between the branches of the lower jaw
see also take it on the chin
chinned; chinning
1
: to bring to or hold with the chin
chin a violin
2
: to raise (oneself) while hanging by the hands until the chin is level with the support
slang
: to talk idly
Synonyms
Examples of chin in a Sentence
Verb
the kind of work environment in which staffers can knock off early on Friday and chin with the boss
Recent Examples on the Web
Graham Kates, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet the Lakers got caught, their hands down at their waists, the Grizzlies’ repeated jabs to the chin staggering the team with everything to play for.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
When performing curls for your biceps, for example, exhale while curling the weight up from your thighs to your chin (the high exertion phase), then inhale on the way down.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
Up close, Bartholomew has a rosy, patchy complexion, and his white beard looks almost like a rectangle of smoke spreading south from his chin.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
First responders arrived to find two of the workers trying to dig out the 20-year-old male victim, who was buried up to his chin under dirt and debris.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024
Their ears, noses and mouths were stretched back, and there were deep grooves in their foreheads, cheeks and chins.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2024
Ringwald appeared to be on mom duty, wiping something from Roman’s chin as both of them smiled widely.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
And it’s got to be a certain height that’s going to accentuate my cheekbones and my chin.
—Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Zaoui is stout and broad chinned, with thick eyebrows and a sweep of dark hair.
—Longreads, 5 Mar. 2024
Álvarez is compact and chiseled, and carries himself, chin up, like a boxer entering the ring.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023
Then laughs from the back of the room while Paul sat with his hat on backward, chin up and a slight smirk.
—Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2023
The halo darkened, snuffed, the deceiving tremor of the fitful candle flame, and from brow to chin a split, a splintering, a slash—the icon severed in a shower of fragments, all at once capsized by a deadly smash.
—Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
As a young lion, eyes closed, chin up.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 2 Feb. 2023
But when done correctly, smoking is a lovely way to pass an evening chinning with a friend or tussling with a bit of writing.
—Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 16 Feb. 2023
Now chin up and prepare to look your best.
—Jeremy Helligar, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2020
Noun
At several points during Monday morning's pretrial arguments, Trump appeared to fall asleep at the defense table, his chin dropping to his chest briefly.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet the Lakers got caught, their hands down at their waists, the Grizzlies’ repeated jabs to the chin staggering the team with everything to play for.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
When performing curls for your biceps, for example, exhale while curling the weight up from your thighs to your chin (the high exertion phase), then inhale on the way down.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
Up close, Bartholomew has a rosy, patchy complexion, and his white beard looks almost like a rectangle of smoke spreading south from his chin.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
First responders arrived to find two of the workers trying to dig out the 20-year-old male victim, who was buried up to his chin under dirt and debris.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024
Their ears, noses and mouths were stretched back, and there were deep grooves in their foreheads, cheeks and chins.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2024
Ringwald appeared to be on mom duty, wiping something from Roman’s chin as both of them smiled widely.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
And it’s got to be a certain height that’s going to accentuate my cheekbones and my chin.
—Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
Set alerts to remind yourself to stand up straight: shoulders back, chin up, core braced.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Zaoui is stout and broad chinned, with thick eyebrows and a sweep of dark hair.
—Longreads, 5 Mar. 2024
Álvarez is compact and chiseled, and carries himself, chin up, like a boxer entering the ring.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023
Then laughs from the back of the room while Paul sat with his hat on backward, chin up and a slight smirk.
—Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2023
The halo darkened, snuffed, the deceiving tremor of the fitful candle flame, and from brow to chin a split, a splintering, a slash—the icon severed in a shower of fragments, all at once capsized by a deadly smash.
—Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
As a young lion, eyes closed, chin up.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 2 Feb. 2023
But when done correctly, smoking is a lovely way to pass an evening chinning with a friend or tussling with a bit of writing.
—Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 16 Feb. 2023
Now chin up and prepare to look your best.
—Jeremy Helligar, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near chin
Cite this Entry
“Chin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chin. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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