cold turkey

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

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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 No matter the continued risk of withdrawal symptoms, medications like methadone for those who are pregnant are still safer than quitting illicit fentanyl cold turkey, according to Davidson. Kate Bolduan, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025 Going off the drugs cold turkey, as Parker Posey’s character does, could lead to dangerous withdrawal symptoms in real life. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 19 Mar. 2025 If Fox’s balance sheet allows it to be relatively unbothered by the threat of a pharma ban, the more vested networks aren’t exactly gearing up for cold turkey withdrawal pains. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 Feb. 2025 That’s why quitting cold turkey can be difficult and ineffective for someone used to frequently vaping high doses of nicotine. Quispe López, Them, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold turkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold turkey
Noun
  • And the animal phyla that have been with us, essentially unchanged, for all those years—the birds and mammals, clams and snails, spiders and insects—these are, to me, surviving embodiments of eternal return.
    Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
  • Animals like corals, oysters, clams and some types of plankton need carbonate to build their shells and skeletons.
    Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • This emulsified mixture of garlic, olive oil and egg is a classic accompaniment to fish (especially cold fish).
    Domenica Marchetti, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • Its data shows that a stick of 16GB DDR4 RAM can now reach $24, up from a mere $4.40 back in March.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
  • With selfie-takers increasingly seen as a risk, some art insurers are advocating for stricter protective measures, such as banning selfie sticks and reinforcing barriers around select artworks.
    Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Like icebergs, the top portion of an ant hill is just the beginning, and ant hills can extend several feet beneath the soil surface.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025
  • The beach gets its moniker from the icebergs that wash up on the black volcanic sand beach.
    Mariette Williams, AFAR Media, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cold turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20turkey. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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