freeze out

verb

froze out; frozen out; freezing out; freezes out
Synonyms of freeze outnext
freeze-out noun

Examples of freeze out in a Sentence

a housing market that effectively freezes out people of moderate means
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.
This review is scheduled to be complete next year and has the potential to freeze out full-size pickups designed with no consideration for things like European pedestrian safety. Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2026 Speaking of options, is there anything Democrats could do if they’re frozen out of the runoff? Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026 The Democratic Party’s nightmare scenario would involve both Republican candidates advancing to November’s general election, freezing out Democrats from the governor’s office for the first time since 2011. Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026 Crespo told us that, yes indeed, he’s still frozen out of the caucus. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for freeze out

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freeze out was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freeze out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freeze%20out. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.

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
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