funk out

Verb

funk out (third-person singular simple present funks out, present participle funking out, simple past and past participle funked out)

1. (dated, dialectal) To back out in a cowardly way; to chicken out.
   • to funk right out o' p'lit'cal strife1848, James Russell Lowell, The Biglow Papers
   • “What! why not? what's the meaning of this? are you funking out of it? You're all a set of cowards.”1887, Frederick Whsihaw (translator), Fyodor Dostoevsky (original), The Gambler
2. To malfunction.
   • “I don't know; we've lost line-of-sight, and I think my com is funking out, too. Maybe the static discharge shorted it out. We're gonna have to backtrack and find everybody.”2012, W. G. Marshall, Enormity
   • Jack did not like it when his technology funked out, but with forty-three Marines keeping careful watch, he could at least search with the Mark I eyeball.2013, Mark Shepherd, Kris Longknife: Defender
3. To rock out to funk music.
   • Maupin shines, particularly at 4:48 where he funks out, completely eschewing the tempo and expanding the palette of the band.2018, Eric Wendell, Experiencing Herbie Hancock: A Listener's Companion
   • Dancing, energized, smiling at Wes, who was dressed to the nines with his cuffs rolled and slacks ironed, funking out to the tunes.2022, Kelly Siskind, The Beat Match