cold-shoulder 1 of 2

as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely cold-shouldered by his old friends after his family had lost all of its money

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cold shoulder

2 of 2

noun

as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly at the party the two former friends consciously gave each other the cold shoulder

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-shoulder
Noun
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 The actress wore the brand’s cold shoulder midi dress, which featured a plunging neckline with gold-tone bead detailing. Julia Teti, WWD, 31 Jan. 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 See All Example Sentences for cold-shoulder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-shoulder
Verb
  • What’s driving these gains isn’t just isolated use cases or incremental automation.
    Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • The Republican Study Committee's Maximum Pressure initiative includes 10 bills designed to cut off Tehran's remaining funding, freeze their assets, isolate their regime, and protect U.S. interests.
    Kristen Waggoner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Both the Associated Press and NBC News reported the dismissals on June 27, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter and a letter signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to one of the attorneys.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 29 June 2025
  • The recent dismissal of Carla Hayden, the first woman and first African American to serve as Librarian of Congress, signals a troubling disregard for the importance and neutrality of libraries.
    Linda Johnson, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox snubbed him when picking the 1996 and ’97 National League reserves, and Sosa begged out of the ’98 game with a shoulder bruise after being selected as a reserve despite hitting 20 home runs in June.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • Trump, however, has numbed our senses with endless authoritarian actions that have ignored our Constitution’s checks and balances, weakened our freedoms and snubbed our judicial system.
    Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Brit greets everyone, including Kelli, who opts for the ever-mature silent treatment.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 22 June 2025
  • Modern nineteenth-century prisons in various parts of the world, including in the British empire, began to model their own prisons off of the Eastern State Penitentiary, instituting separate and silent treatments that suppressed language.
    Amir Hussain June 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • In response, Congress passed legislation seeking to limit a president's ability to wage war against Iran, which was again quickly rejected by Trump.
    Mariam Khan, ABC News, 23 June 2025
  • That kind of backlash prompted officials in La Mesa, Oceanside, Vista and Carlsbad to reject digital billboard proposals.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • The boar bristles are bendy to move with hair but still stiff enough to detangle knots.
    Olivia Cigliano, Footwear News, 12 June 2025
  • The concrete had to be strong enough to withstand all the floors pressing down on one another and stiff enough to hold up against winds that would push against the building during storms.
    Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Verb
  • The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • According to a report on Bloomberg, MSFT is planning to cut thousands of jobs in its Xbox gaming division.
    MoneyShow, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Related article Gay rights icon Harvey Milk’s legacy slighted by decision to rename Navy ship Wald says that waiting to transition can create additional psychological distress for a child and can raise their risk of depression, suicidality, self-harm or substance misuse.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
  • Despite Meg’s efforts to connect, Ellen (Kyra Sedgwick) repeatedly slights her future daughter-in-law.
    Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cold-shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-shoulder. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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