cold call

noun

: a telephone call soliciting business made directly to a potential customer without prior contact or without a lead
cold-call verb

Examples of cold call in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That's handy for salespeople who don’t want to repeat the same message every time for cold calls. John Brandon, PCMAG, 17 Oct. 2024 All communication would take place within the platform—no emails, no direct outreach, no cold calls. R. Paul Singh, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Track open rates and click-through rates for email; for cold calls look at connect rates and call times. Samuel Darwin, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Charity and Disaster Fraud: following a high-profile disaster, scammers can set up fake charities and encourage people to donate through emails, social media, crowdfunding, and cold calls. Cicely Jones, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cold call 

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold call was in 1966

Dictionary Entries Near cold call

Cite this Entry

“Cold call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20call. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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