: designed to allow passions to cool or to permit negotiation between parties
a cooling-off period

Examples of cooling-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Each time, Stake would enforce the 24-hour cooling-off period. Cecilia D'anastasio, Bloomberg, 27 Feb. 2026 After a blistering-hot start to life as a soccer club, AC Boise has suffered a cooling-off period in recent weeks. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 5 June 2026 Shortly after, a three-month cooling-off period was instituted wherein those duties were reduced to 30 percent. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 But with the unions subsequently requesting the intervention of two emergency boards, that cooling-off period was extended, and an imminent strike was thwarted. Chad De Guzman, Time, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cooling-off

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cooling-off was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Cooling-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cooling-off. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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