the silent treatment
noun
: the act of ignoring someone because one is angry at him or her
Whenever she gets mad at me, she gives me the silent treatment.
Examples of the silent treatment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since then, her sister has given her the silent treatment and taken to Facebook to air her grievances, prompting calls from other relatives and adding to the mother’s stress.
—
Ashley Vega, People.com, 30 May 2025
But, some companies are more likely to give you the silent treatment than others, and knowing how to spot the red flags early can save you unnecessary misery and stress.
—Adunola Adeshola, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
In any case, giving you the silent treatment seems extreme — and will probably come back to haunt him.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 16 May 2025
If the child or co-parent disappoints their narcissistic parent (and often these standards are impossible to meet anyway), that love will be withdrawn, often through acts like the silent treatment, guilt-tripping, or emotional distancing themselves from their partner or kids.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 15 May 2025
This all upset Michelle, who decided to lead the class in giving Joey the silent treatment (how rude!).
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 6 May 2025
For the uninitiated, the silent treatment is when a person intentionally refuses to communicate with you — or in some cases, even acknowledge you.
—Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
This can show up as guilt-tripping, the silent treatment, love-bombing, gaslighting, coercion, criticizing, isolation, helplessness, and regression.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2025
Resorting to the silent treatment or emotionally withdrawing isn’t healthy either.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 13 Mar. 2025
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Ashley Vega, People.com, 30 May 2025
But, some companies are more likely to give you the silent treatment than others, and knowing how to spot the red flags early can save you unnecessary misery and stress.
—Adunola Adeshola, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
In any case, giving you the silent treatment seems extreme — and will probably come back to haunt him.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 16 May 2025
If the child or co-parent disappoints their narcissistic parent (and often these standards are impossible to meet anyway), that love will be withdrawn, often through acts like the silent treatment, guilt-tripping, or emotional distancing themselves from their partner or kids.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 15 May 2025
This all upset Michelle, who decided to lead the class in giving Joey the silent treatment (how rude!).
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 6 May 2025
For the uninitiated, the silent treatment is when a person intentionally refuses to communicate with you — or in some cases, even acknowledge you.
—Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
This can show up as guilt-tripping, the silent treatment, love-bombing, gaslighting, coercion, criticizing, isolation, helplessness, and regression.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2025
Resorting to the silent treatment or emotionally withdrawing isn’t healthy either.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The silent treatment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20silent%20treatment. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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