cold turkey

Definition of cold turkeynext
as in clam
a cold aloof person my new boss is a cold turkey and definitely not one for chitchat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 turkey At first, the idea of going cold turkey is jarring and scary. Lauren Decarlo, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2026 Going cold turkey is, often, an onerous way of quitting something completely and suddenly. Natalie Escobar, NPR, 26 Nov. 2025 But unlike nicotine or narcotics, food is something that all people need to survive, so quitting cold turkey isn’t an option. Claire Wilcox, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025 Don’t quit everything you are involved with cold turkey. Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold turkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold turkey
Noun
  • That’s when something tightened, a brief, instinctual clam-closing and then loosening again just as fast.
    Dawn Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The outbreak was then linked to raw oysters harvested by Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, and Manila clams harvested by Lummi Indian Business Council.
    Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • That impulse extends to dealing with occasional rude customers at her day gig, where the coworkers are nice but the boss, family-business heir Maxwell Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz), is one nasty cold fish.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
  • Lancelot, still the Round Table’s greatest hero, is a bit of a cold fish with an unexpected role to play as the saga winds to its close.
    Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 16 July 2024
Noun
  • Before a Minnesota player could get to it, the 6-foot-6 Vlasic swept his stick into the crease and tucked the puck beneath his goalie.
    CBS News, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
  • It also came paired only with a six-speed stick, something not available on the GT3 RS of its day.
    Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Viewers are seeing only the tip of this iceberg.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Place iceberg into the salad bowl.
    Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cold turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20turkey. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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