cold turkey

1 of 2

noun

1
: abrupt complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug
also : the symptoms experienced by a person undergoing withdrawal from a drug
2
: unrelieved blunt language or procedure
3
: a cold aloof person
cold-turkey transitive verb

cold turkey

2 of 2

adverb

: all at once : abruptly: such as
a
: without a period of gradual adjustment, adaptation, or withdrawal
quit smoking cold turkey
b
: without preparation
a new player who started the season cold turkey

Examples of cold turkey in a Sentence

Noun I tried lots of ways to stop smoking, even cold turkey. my new boss is a cold turkey and definitely not one for chitchat
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This helped my babies adjust to the bag-like fit of a traditional sleep sack without having to make the transition from swaddling cold turkey. Emily Hochberg, Parents, 11 Mar. 2024 Displaying the kind of discipline that characterized his fictional detective, Hammett stopped that day, cold turkey. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 May 2023 But the pay-off for going cold turkey–a gradual reduction in breakage over time–is still worth the effort. Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 19 Jan. 2024 Committing to seven days without spirits may feel a lot more realistic—and a lot less intimidating—for some than going cold turkey. Rachael Schultz, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2024 But across the country, programs that help smokers quit are being underused, as smokers try to quit cold turkey or by taking medications prescribed by their doctor with little to no counseling, said Jennifer Folkenroth, the American Lung Association’s national senior director of tobacco programs. Claretta Bellamy, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2023 Get the Recipe 09 of 26 Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches Drab, cold turkey sandwiches are a thing of the past. Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2023 In addition, withdrawal from opioid addiction puts the unborn baby at risk, so pregnant women who are using opioids can’t just quit cold turkey. Gretchen Cuda Kroen, cleveland, 26 July 2023 How to cut down on soda Quitting soda cold turkey can be tough, especially because sugar and caffeine can both be addictive. USA TODAY, 23 July 2023
Adverb
The girls’ trip turns into a kind of unintended intervention, even a detox, especially once she’s deprived of her phone and forced to go cold turkey. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2022 He’s tried going cold turkey by himself and in clean and sober facilities. Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2022 However, the Sixers should spend the final 29 games of the regular season testing out the efficacy of that pairing rather than trying it out cold turkey in the playoffs. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023 Many others opt for Dry-ish, Dri-er or Damp January — cutting back on alcohol but not quitting cold turkey. Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022 But what exactly happens to the brain when a person who regularly drinks goes cold turkey — even for a short while? Alexandra Becker, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2022 Going cold turkey may not work for everyone—or be sustainable. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 1 Jan. 2023 That’s another argument for companies going cold turkey across all candidates, instead of letting P.R. crises dictate when to donate and when to abstain. Maria Aspan, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2022 The lifelong smoker decided to quit cold turkey at age 50 and vowed to run a marathon. Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cold turkey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold turkey was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near cold turkey

Cite this Entry

“Cold turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20turkey. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

cold turkey

noun
cold tur·​key -ˈtər-kē How to pronounce cold turkey (audio)
: abrupt complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug
also : the symptoms experienced by one undergoing withdrawal from a drug
cold-turkey adverb or transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on cold turkey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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