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
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
  • Being a primary caregiver for any child in the U.S. is inherently challenging, stressful, isolating, and a full-time job.
    Rachelle Rutherford, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The apparent détente marks a drastic departure in U.S. policy toward the Kremlin: The Biden White House had sought to isolate and sanction Russia over its full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
    Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The Houston Chronicle reported that NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston has informed employees still in their probationary period to prepare for dismissal.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Danielle Sassoon, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, resigned in refusal to carry out the Justice Department’s directive to file the dismissal.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Challengers, notably snubbed by the Oscars, and A Real Pain, each won two awards, but one of the Real Pain honors was a tie for the best comedy win with Deadpool & Wolverine.
    Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
  • It should be noted that Hurts didn’t join the Eagles until 2002 – over two years after the team and Trump snubbed each other.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Feb. 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
  • Never the favorite of his party's professional advisers, Merz was twice rejected as Merkel's successor as party leader, in 2018 and 2021, before his doggedness won out in 2022.
    Thomas Escritt, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
  • When this innate drive for self-expansion is unfulfilled within the current relationship, individuals may seek it elsewhere—including through infidelity. Cheating, in this case, isn’t necessarily about rejecting a relationship but about reclaiming a lost sense of self.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 23 Feb. 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
  • It’s been swinging since the Federal Reserve began cutting its main interest rate sharply from September intending to make borrowing cheaper, help the economy and boost prices for stocks, bonds and other investments.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Then, prune overgrown trees and shrubs, trim tall grasses and weedy areas, mow regularly to keep your lawn cut close, and consider calling a chimney sweep to clean out your chimney.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • But don’t slight Southern California’s earlier signature trees.
    Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
  • More than 65 breweries will be present, and while San Diego is slighted — the only local in the lineup is North Park Beer Co. — this is a heavy-hitting group: Russian River, Trillium, Garage Project, Three Floyds, Cellarmaker, Alchemist and the like.
    Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 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 28 Feb. 2025.

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