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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Apparently undeterred by Greenland and Denmark's cold shoulder, Trump announced Monday that his son Donald Trump Jr. was making an impromptu visit to the island. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2025 But a year ago, the veteran, who was draft pick in 2009, turned a cold shoulder to the Bronx Bombers, choosing to return to the Dodgers. Jon Vankin, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025 Constituencies that seemed tailored to endorse Carter gave him a cold shoulder. Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024 All this is to say: The 82nd Golden Globes mark yet another occasion in which Cyrus gave convention a cold shoulder, alongside Jeremy Strong and his oversized tinted sunnies (plus mint green bucket hat). Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for cold-shoulder 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-shoulder
Verb
  • Egypt has already rejected money from Gulf States to help solve the Gaza refugee crisis and to isolate Hamas.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
  • The top lighting and the white palette follow through to isolate the actors, visually.
    Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Just four months later, he was asked to hold the fort as interim head coach at one of the world’s biggest clubs following Ten Hag’s dismissal.
    Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
  • An ex-member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), whom President Trump fired last month, filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging her dismissal and asking a federal court to reinstate her to the board.
    Emily Peck, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • What was the excuse for snubbing his work on Conclave, the kind of craft-heavy, visually appealing filmmaking the Academy often favors?
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Despite its strong showing, director Jon M. Chu and the film's screenplay were notably snubbed, missing key categories like Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
    Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • No spanking, humiliation, silent treatment, name calling, withholding of love and affection, or nonsensical punishments and consequences.
    Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
  • After her husband retired, the disengagement, silent treatment and lack of support that characterized the relationship worsened.
    Abby Ellin, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Verb
  • The passage of the bill signals a GOP civil war brewing between DeSantis and Perez and Albritton, who rejected the governor's immigration proposal in favor of their own plan.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
  • But in September 2022 the new constitution was voted down, rejected in all 16 regions in Chile.
    Sammy Feldblum, The Dial, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Arctic air will blast across the the Midwest with subzero wind chill temperatures and stiff northwesterly winds, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
    Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Yip says features and design elements, everything like a pocket placement to how a jacket may work with gloves—or even how smooth or stiff the zipper sliding action is—is all under consideration when designing.
    Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Funding for United Nations agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights and refugee agencies, have been traditional targets for Republican administrations to cut.
    Ellen Knickmeyer, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Stocks rapidly cut those losses after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Trump struck a deal to delay the tariffs for one month.
    Paulina Likos, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Liska and Copper’s text also, uncomfortably, makes constant, slighting reference to Bachrach’s body.
    Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
  • The deference being shown to the Big Ten and SEC conferences isn’t sitting well with some outsiders, who feel they are being slighted by the CFP selection committee.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN, 19 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near cold-shoulder

cold shoulder

cold-shoulder

cold-shouldered

Cite this Entry

“Cold-shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-shoulder. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

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