freeze out

verb

froze out; frozen out; freezing out; freezes out

transitive verb

: exclude

freeze-out

ˈfrēz-ˌau̇t 

noun

Synonyms

• ban
• bar
• close out
• count (out)
• debar
• eliminate
• except
• exclude
• rule out
• shut out

Examples of freeze out in a Sentence

a housing market that effectively freezes out people of moderate means

Recent Examples on the Web

As the understudy to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, Hochul was largely frozen out of policy deliberations and other decisions. —David Mark, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025

Ukraine and Europe frozen out Officials from Ukraine were not present at the talks in Riyadh and European allies have also been frozen out of the discussions for now. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025

According to James, at least 20 states have been frozen out of Medicaid reimbursement. —Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 28 Jan. 2025

On the opposite end, Mars is essentially frozen out, with all of its water locked up in polar ice caps and under the surface. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for freeze out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Legal Definition

freezeout

1 of 2 noun

freeze·​out

ˈfrēz-ˌau̇t

: a corporate action (as a merger) taken by those in control of the corporation (as controlling shareholders or the board of directors) for the purpose of causing the minority shareholders to lose their equity in the corporation (as by the sale of their shares) compare squeezeout

freeze out

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to subject to a freezeout