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.

Polite formalities did not return at the toss, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha giving each other the silent treatment.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

He’s used to giving me the silent treatment whenever there is conflict and he’s improved, but there is still a huge divide between what we have and what I, and most people, think is healthy.

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

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

Daisy had put me through the silent treatment several times in my life, and I didn’t like it at all.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls