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
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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
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
-
Elias Lindholm took an offensive zone tripping penalty – O-zone stick fouls have been the bane of the B’s season – and the Sabres cashed in on the power play.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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That unpredictability is part of what makes the story stick.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Littleleaf boxwood surrounds one planting area filled with iceberg roses.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Viewers are seeing only the tip of this iceberg.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cold turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20turkey. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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