silent treatment

American  

noun

1. an act or instance of maintaining silence or aloofness toward another person, especially as a means of indicating disapproval or rejection.

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Etymology

Origin of silent treatment

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

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

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

From Literature

“For a day or two, she’d give us the silent treatment, and then we’d all fall back into the form of a life trying to make ends meet,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

They did this by sitting and pouting, having lying-down tantrums, and giving each other the “silent treatment.”

From Literature

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