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

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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-shoulder
Noun
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 In a 2008 Ebony profile, Banks posed with Iman, Alek Wek and Kimora Lee Simmons—women who were all toggling between fabulous modeling careers, as the faces of high fashion, and new options, in case the world of struts ever turned a cold shoulder. Essence, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold-shoulder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-shoulder
Verb
  • He is isolated in Sweden — far away from coaching candidates, far away from Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza — left to find his next coach on a schedule six hours ahead of Eastern Time.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • Extreme anxiety and extreme depression is isolating.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
Noun
  • The dismissal of acting director Cameron Hamilton on May 8 adds to ongoing layoffs, budget cuts, grant cancellations and leadership changes at FEMA, and officials now say the agency could run out of money as soon as July.
    Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
  • Last month, Unilever called for the dismissal of the lawsuit.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • While the actress even nabbed nominations at the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes, she was ultimately snubbed at the Oscars.
    Catherine Santino, People.com, 6 May 2025
  • They were snubbed on Selection Sunday though, with Arkansas State getting the lone bid out of the Sun Belt.
    Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This silent treatment was later clarified to be part of McIlroy’s strategy to eliminate distractions.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2025
  • This distress often results in either combative behavior (arguing, criticizing) or withdrawal (silent treatment, shutting down).
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • On May 16, Brown appeared in Manchester Magistrates’ Court, where Judge Joanne Hirst rejected his bail request.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 18 May 2025
  • To compound the embarrassment, Arsenal fan group Ashburton Army had raised more than £12,000 to fund their own tifo, which the club rejected (fans who had donated were refunded their money).
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The past two comparable moves in this small-investor proxy, in November 2022 and March 2022, led to stiff near-term declines in the basket within weeks.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Failing to comply can lead to stiff fines (up to 4% of a company’s turnover) and disrupt market access.
    Florent Bouguin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The president also floated cutting Chinese tariffs to 80%.
    Grace Miserocchi, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • However, with the fight at stake and Aldo unable to safely cut any more weight, a deal was struck between Aldo, the UFC, and Zahabi to fight at featherweight with a 145-pound limit.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Plus, an in-demand restaurant at capacity might not feel particularly motivated to go above and beyond to satisfy a diner who feels slighted by their subpar table.
    Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Was slighting the defense to improve the offense worth risking a miss on several top defensive prospects?
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 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 24 May. 2025.

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