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cold shoulder
noun
: intentionally cold or unsympathetic treatment
got the cold shoulder from an old friend
Examples of cold shoulder in a Sentence
at the party the two former friends consciously gave each other the cold shoulder
Recent Examples on the Web
And contrary to what Tyler might hope, neither would an American cold shoulder, which would only entrench Israeli hawks -- as Eisenhower's distant approach to Israel did to the hard-liners of Ben-Gurion's generation.
—Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2013
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1816, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near cold shoulder
Cite this Entry
“Cold shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20shoulder. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
cold shoulder
noun
: treatment that is purposely unfriendly
cold-shoulder
verb
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