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.

We don’t like confrontation, in daily life at least, and we are masters of the silent treatment, hidden meanings and passive aggression.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

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

“I’m not really understanding what the silent treatment is,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher told The Associated Press last week.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 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