cold turkey

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.

“It was terrifying. You can’t just go cold turkey on these things,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

While it won’t kill you like some other vices, trying to quit this spiritually corrosive habit cold turkey is inadvisable.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2025

According to medical literature and former patients, some programs, including CHOP, wean children off medications—including narcotics, antidepressants, steroids, and seizure medications—or encourage them to stop cold turkey.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

I went cold turkey, I don’t know how I did it.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2024

The truth was, I could no sooner quit cello cold turkey than I could stop breathing.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman