COLD-SHOULDERED Synonyms: 23 Similar Words

cold-shouldered

verb

past tense of cold-shoulder

as in isolated

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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-shouldered Over the next half decade, Biden cold-shouldered the Turkish government. — Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-shouldered

Verb

For someone feeling isolated, that kind of connection may offer comfort.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Broken and forlorn, she’s once again isolated…till Wicker Husband reappears—repaired and forgiving.

— Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of isolated

Verb

Wilson, the attorney general, also rejected the conclusion that EdChoice harms public education.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Trump’s claims have been rejected by the courts and even since his return to the White House in 2025 no evidence of widespread fraud has been surfaced.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

Their forebears at the Academy snubbed canonical documentaries like The Thin Blue Line, Roger & Me, and Hoop Dreams.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
At one point, McLoughlin even snubbed Sylvester Stallone, another Kennedy Center Honoree who had wandered into the bar.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of snubbed

Verb

The other four QBs peaked inside the top 10 last season, so they’ve all been slighted to a degree with the initial rankings of 2026.

— Jeff Howe, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
But after reaching All-Star status for the first time in his career, after keeping the Heat afloat through the first half of last season while Herro was sidelined, Norman Powell need offer no apology for feeling slighted.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of slighted

Verb

The defense once again gave the offense an opportunity, forcing an Argyle punt, and this time, Heritage capitalized with a 2-yard rushing TD from Vargas to cut the lead to 7 points.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Later that month, Achilles, a university lecturer, cut a campaign ad in the spirit of a tongue-in-cheek corporate training video on how to avoid starting a foreign war.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut

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cold shoulder

cold-shouldered

cold-shouldering

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“Cold-shouldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-shouldered. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cold-shouldered

verb

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