cold-shoulder 1 of 2

as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely cold-shouldered by his old friends after his family had lost all of its money

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cold shoulder

2 of 2

noun

as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly at the party the two former friends consciously gave each other the cold shoulder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cold-shoulder
Noun
Sal feels every insult, every quip, and every cold shoulder from one of his kids. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025 But the Rockies gave them a cold shoulder, losing 6-3 to the Athletics in 11 innings in a game that took 3 hours and 21 minutes. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025 Listen to this article Who says the NCAA wants to give Denver a cold shoulder? Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025 Worst of all, local and state government agencies have shown an increasing tendency to fend off public-records requests with barriers like unjustified fees or a simple cold shoulder, letting records requests lie dormant for weeks or months with no response. Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold-shoulder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-shoulder
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the headphones, meant to unify the audience in a shared soundscape, instead isolate viewers into their glowing silos, which feels like an ironic choice for a show supposedly about communal grief.
    David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The procedure typically begins with local anesthesia and placement of a rubber dam to isolate the tooth.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Trump has also long been at odds with Kimmel and other late night hosts, calling for their dismissals.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
  • By contrast, that would be protected by the Delaware UPEPA and give the journalist a path to quick dismissal of that lawsuit.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But at the Los Angeles premiere, Baena’s half-siblings appeared to snub him on the red carpet by not posing for photos with him.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the drama from Taylor Sheridan was snubbed by the Emmys this year, though Thornton did score a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Tommy.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In some practical ways, the show remains weighted toward Judas, as Christ gets a big standout number near the top of the second act, but then goes on to pretty much give Kings Herod and Pilate and the audience the strong, silent treatment after that.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Campaigning for a job is stressful enough without unearned silent treatment from an organization someone’s pining for.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • In July 2007, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves after rejecting an eight-year, $140 million contract extension.
    Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Ukrainians overwhelmingly reject ceding territory.
    Oleksandra Matviichuk, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There was a unilateral rebuff toward the idea that the industry is experiencing a drummer shortage in general.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Symptoms progress to stiff neck and seizures, as well as cognitive symptoms, like confusion and hallucinations.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • There was frost on the inside of the windows, clothes stiff on the floor.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The junior wideout slipped loose into the secondary, breaking free for a 51-yard touchdown reception as the Harbormen cut things to a 21-13 game.
    Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
  • The Fed may have seen the quarter-point interest rate cut on September 17 as necessary because the labor market is flagging.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cold-shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-shoulder. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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