Browse all

freeze out

B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To be cold and unfriendly to someone on purpose so they feel left out or go away.

Literal meaning: To force something out by freezing — as one might freeze pests out of a space.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic informal

To deliberately ignore or treat someone coldly in a social situation to make them feel excluded.

"After the argument, the whole group started freezing her out at lunch."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 idiomatic neutral

To force a competitor or rival out of a market, business, or position through strategic pressure.

"The large supermarket chain froze out smaller local grocers by cutting prices drastically."

Grammar: separable
3 B1 informal

To make a place extremely cold, to the point of discomfort.

"They froze us out with the air conditioning in that conference room."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Commonly used in workplace, social, and political contexts. Carries a tone of deliberate cruelty or strategic exclusion. Used in both British and American English.

Commonly used with

competitor colleague rival member partner market

Forms

Base
freeze out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
freezes out
he/she/it
Past simple
freezed out
yesterday
Past participle
freezed out
have + pp
-ing form
freezing out
continuous

Understand "freeze out" better

Try:

Real video examples

Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.

Synonyms

exclude shut out ostracize cold-shoulder sideline marginalize

Want to master this phrasal verb?

Practice "freeze out" on Looplines