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

Relevance

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 If going off Wi-Fi cold turkey seems too extreme, Aguiar suggested giving kids a bit of time on devices as needed before taking them to do something else. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 16 Oct. 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 Reduce work hours gradually instead of stopping cold turkey. Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold turkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold turkey
Noun
  • The second course comes with a clam chowder or elote street corn soup.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Du identified bristleworms, gastropods, clams, tubeworms and other organisms living in the extreme depths, supported not by sunlight but chemosynthetic microbes drawing energy from methane and sulfide seeping through the ocean floor.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
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
  • If your stick vacuum lacks suction power, picking up crumbs and debris can feel like a losing battle.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
  • This new stick-to-your-ribs chili is a great play on traditional pork chili.
    Patricia S York, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The iceberg could be between days and weeks from disintegration, scientists say.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
  • In 2023, the British Antarctic Survey posted a time-lapse of satellite imagery, showing the iceberg's movement.
    Stephen Smith, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cold turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20turkey. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on cold turkey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!