the silent treatment

noun

: the act of ignoring someone because one is angry at him or her
Whenever she gets mad at me, she gives me the silent treatment.

Examples of the silent treatment in a Sentence

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Holman, at times, had to endure racist jokes and slurs, and got the silent treatment from some. — Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026 This week, especially, she’s been off, giving me the silent treatment or speaking to me sharply for no clear reason. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2026 As noted, this AI maneuver of the silent treatment has tradeoffs. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Pouting is not a mature response, and the silent treatment is a tactic that is often used by emotionally abusive partners. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the silent treatment

Rhymes for the silent treatment

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Browse Nearby Words

the silent majority
the silent treatment
the silver screen
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Cite this Entry

“The silent treatment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20silent%20treatment. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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