silent treatment

NOUN

ignoring of another

Synonyms

WEAK

blackballing cold shoulder ignore someone ignoring ostracism ostracization sending to Coventry

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

‘He thinks nothing of spending $40K on a new car’: My husband gives me the silent treatment.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

About times he’d argued with his wife and given her the silent treatment.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025

He did not want to speak after Saturday's round, but he did and in so doing broke his silent treatment of the media.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

On their long car ride back from Washington, she gave him the silent treatment, talking to him only through their eldest son.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2023

For most of my childhood, my sister brought me to hysterics from fights and days of the silent treatment.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi