cold shoulders 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cold-shoulders

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cold-shoulder
as in isolates
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely cold-shouldered by his old friends after his family had lost all of its money

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shoulders
Noun
There are screaming matches and cold shoulders. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 These rules were administered via cold shoulders and whispers. — Alessandra Schade, Time, 5 Aug. 2025 My first issue, in January, launched Nan Goldin’s campaign against the Sackler family for their role in the opioid epidemic, and this action has inspired cold shoulders from the philanthropic class. — David Velasco, Harpers Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold shoulders
  1. dismissals
  2. isolates
  3. snubs
  4. rejects
  5. cuts
  6. repulses
Noun
  • Women are increasingly leveraging AI tools like Claude to navigate their healthcare, seeking control and addressing historical dismissals within the medical system.
    — Amy Shoenthal, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • But there are also several reasons to suggest he simply couldn’t be trusted to lead the red-ball side — from his off-field antics in New Zealand last winter, to his penchant for daft dismissals at crucial moments in games.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of dismissals
Verb
  • The Sortino ratio isolates harmful downside volatility from upside noise, which a standard the Sharpe ratio can’t do.
    — Andrew Sukhin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • This system, located between the grid and an AI data center, isolates DC load fluctuations from the grid and delivers LVRT support that can respond to demand shifts in real time at scale.
    — Drew Robb, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
Definition of isolates
Noun
  • What kind of impact do these snubs have on our reputation in the eyes of potential incoming players?
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Those questions, and a lot more, are discussed as the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast‘s Michael Schneider, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay hit the roundtable to go over the winners, snubs and surprises from this week’s Emmy nominations.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 July 2026
Definition of snubs
Verb
  • The agent proposes; the human reviews, edits, approves, or rejects; and the system brings reasoning and evidence with the recommendation.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government adamantly rejects.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • Zayn's recent proximity to the title picture cuts the other way.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The official also asked agency heads to prepare contingency plans identifying places to save money in a worst-case scenario that cuts need to be made.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of cuts
Verb
  • Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.
    — Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.
    — Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of repulses

Browse Nearby Words

cold-shouldering
cold shoulders
cold-shoulders
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Cite this Entry

“Cold shoulders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20shoulders. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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