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
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
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Recent Examples of 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
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
Noun
-
That led to a number of dismissals, including coach Massimiliano Allegri.
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What is particularly concerning about these firings is the effect the dismissals will have on the officer ranks.
Verb
-
No authoritative global source yet isolates the precise data-center share.
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The Beats Studio Pro isolates your music using adaptive active noise cancelling and 360-degree Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.
Noun
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Emmys season is about ot begin, and with it, a slew of contenders destined for nominations and memorialization by way of snubs chatter.
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Minions & Monsters nods to the Academy snubs with a recurring gag imagining a Minion director receiving a Golden Banana trophy.
Verb
-
The final budget agreement rejects a call by Newsom to lower the asset limit to $2,000 now and instead lowers it to $21,000 in 2027-28 to be eligible for Medi-Cal.
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Kenzie completely rejects Corbin’s because Corbin, having disrespected her, is now dead to her.
Verb
-
When a company cuts its dividend, the stock tanks—that’s the bad scenario.
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There are a few loadouts available at HP's site, but the best overall deal is on this model, which cuts a full 50% off.
Verb
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Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.
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Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.
Cite this Entry
“Cold shoulders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20shoulders. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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