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
Sal feels every insult, every quip, and every cold shoulder from one of his kids.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
But the Rockies gave them a cold shoulder, losing 6-3 to the Athletics in 11 innings in a game that took 3 hours and 21 minutes.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025
Worst of all, local and state government agencies have shown an increasing tendency to fend off public-records requests with barriers like unjustified fees or a simple cold shoulder, letting records requests lie dormant for weeks or months with no response.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
The omission sparked some spirited posts on social media about Young and other players who received a cold shoulder from voters.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold shoulder
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Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
But the Rockies gave them a cold shoulder, losing 6-3 to the Athletics in 11 innings in a game that took 3 hours and 21 minutes.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025
Worst of all, local and state government agencies have shown an increasing tendency to fend off public-records requests with barriers like unjustified fees or a simple cold shoulder, letting records requests lie dormant for weeks or months with no response.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
The omission sparked some spirited posts on social media about Young and other players who received a cold shoulder from voters.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold shoulder
Cite this Entry
“Cold shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20shoulder. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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