cold turkey

1. idiomaticinformaluncountableA sudden and complete withdrawal from a dependent substance, especially a drug.
2. uncountableThe physiological effects of such a withdrawal.
3. USslanguncountablegovernmentSomething exposed as a target due to surmountable defense.

   Synonyms: cold meat, easy target, easy pickings

1. idiomaticnot comparableNot gradually; all at once; referring especially to quitting a habit by force of will rather than by a gradual reduction.

   It is difficult, but possible to quit smoking cold turkey.

   2 more examples

   I knew that, if I had daily access to video games, I would spend literally every day playing them, forever. So I cut myself off, more or less cold turkey, and as a result I was more or less happy and productive.

   2012 April 4, Sam Anderson, “Just One More Game ...”, in The New York Times Magazine, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2020

   Joan Baez:: ‘I talk to trees to get answers. They give it to you cold turkey’.

   2023 October 5, Rich Pelley, “Joan Baez: ‘I talk to trees to get answers. They give it to you cold turkey’”, in The Guardian, UK, archived from the original on 06 Nov 2023

present singular third person cold turkeys · participle present cold turkeying · participle past cold turkeyed · past cold turkeyed

1. informalintransitiveTo undergo sudden and complete withdrawal from a dependent substance, especially a drug.