Quick answer: ghosting (Informal · relationships and contact) — Ending or abandoning an ongoing connection by stopping communication without an explanation. Meanwhile, stonewalling (informal conversational) — Shutting down a conversation by refusing to reply, giving one-word answers, or withdrawing completely during a disagreement.
1. ghosting ↗
Category: People & relationships
Register: Informal · relationships and contact
Regions: Online
Ending or abandoning an ongoing connection by stopping communication without an explanation.
When it fits: Use it when an ongoing interaction appears to have ended through unexplained silence. Describe what happened rather than claiming to know the other person’s intentions.
When to avoid: Avoid labeling a short response delay as ghosting or treating the word as a reason someone must maintain unwanted contact.
“We had been arranging a second meeting, then all replies stopped. I think I got ghosted.”
In plain English: An ongoing exchange ended without explanation.
2. stonewalling ↗
Category: People & relationships
Register: informal conversational
Regions: US, UK, IE, Online
Shutting down a conversation by refusing to reply, giving one-word answers, or withdrawing completely during a disagreement.
When it fits: Use “stonewalling” in casual conversation, messaging, or sociolinguistic discussion when the listener shares the register and context makes the tone unmistakable.
When to avoid: Avoid relying on “stonewalling” in formal academic, legal, clinical, or HR correspondence where unambiguous plain English prevents misinterpretation.
“Everyone in the group chat recognized “stonewalling” immediately, even though we had to rephrase it in plain English for the project summary.”
In plain English: Everyone in the chat understood the informal expression (shutting down a conversation by refusing to reply, giving one-word answers, or withdrawing completely during a disagreement.), though we used standard wording in the formal report.
Test both expressions in context
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