cold call

noun

: a telephone call soliciting business made directly to a potential customer without prior contact or without a lead
cold-call verb

Examples of cold call in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In this day and age, receiving a cold call at any time can be disarming, but Norway’s finance minister reportedly took a most surprising ring on the streets of Oslo earlier this month. Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025 There’s no need for flashy advertisements, intrusive cold calls or door-to-door sales tactics. John Hall, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025 Never trust a cold call, email, or mailed offer without confirmation. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2025 In this new model, discovery no longer depends on trade shows, cold calls or client dinners. Lutz Finger, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold call

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold call was in 1966

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cold call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20call. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on cold call

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!