How to Ghost Someone

Ghosting is the act of stopping contact with someone without warning. Why do you want to ghost someone? If you’re the type to avoid conflict or are dating but haven’t taken it seriously yet, ignoring them may seem like a good option when you no longer want to see them. Ghosting is pretty straightforward, but there are a few different ways you can cut them off, depending on what you want. In this article, we’ll show you how to ignore a friend or date without feeling guilty.

Table of Contents

Cut off all contact.

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To ghosting someone, you must completely stop contacting them. That’s the definition of ghosting. If they text, call, or message via messenger, don’t reply. Eventually, the person will understand for themselves that you don’t want to talk to them anymore and will stop communicating. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Ghosting is most effective when you have no specific plans with the person. If the two of you already have plans together, you need to let them know you have to cancel it before you ignore it so they can rearrange their schedules.
Cutting off contact is a good choice if you and the other person have a fickle relationship.

Know that they may react negatively when ignored.

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The person being ignored may be annoyed to see you silent. It’s easy to stop responding to the person’s texts or calls, but they may feel hurt or confused because they don’t know why you haven’t contacted them. If you’re going to ghost someone, be prepared that they might call or text to ask you to answer, especially if you two have known each other for a long time. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you ghost a lover or a longtime friend, they will probably try to contact you many times, and if it is someone you just met, they may not feel so bad when you ignore them.
The other person’s reaction to being ignored depends on your relationship with the other person. If you ghost them after just one date, they probably don’t react much; But if you two have been dating for months, it’s a completely different story.

Send a final message to politely terminate.

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Sending a final message is the polite way of ghosting. Caspering (derived from the name of a friendly ghost in an animated movie) is a version of ghosting whereby you send them a final message thanking them for their time and ending. This is a polite way to end a relationship, as it doesn’t have to be a long conversation but still lets the other person know what you mean so they can go their separate ways. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

“I’m glad to meet you, but I don’t think we can go together. I wish you all the best.”
“I had a good time hanging out with you, but I didn’t feel really moved. I hope all is well with you.”

Wait a long time before the response slowly “disappears”.

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The gentle act of ghosting will send them the signal that you don’t want to talk to them anymore. If you don’t want to send the last message, you can keep your distance from the person by being slow to respond to their messages. If you previously replied to their messages within a few minutes, from now on wait a few hours (or even days) before replying. If you’re observant, they’ll understand that you don’t really like them.

This method will be most effective if neither party has any upcoming plans. However, if you are still thinking about where and when your next appointment will be, this is still a good option.
The ghosting timeline will vary as every relationship is different, but a delay of about 3 days in replying to messages is usually a clear sign that you are looking to end up with someone.

Find excuses to ignore them for a long time.

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Making excuses to refuse to go out is also a way to signal to the other side. If you want to say no to the other person gently, start by finding reasons why you can’t see them. If you do this over and over again, eventually they will notice and stop contacting you.

“Sorry to you. Your job is too busy right now. I don’t think I can see you any time soon.”
“My schedule is full. I’m not sure when I’ll see you.”

Unfollow them on social media.

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Eliminate all communication channels so they can’t find you. If you’re following the other person on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, unfollow them. After you unfollow, the other person will understand even more that you don’t want to talk to them anymore. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If they continue to send messages online, you can block their account on social networks.

Block their phone number if necessary.

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There are people who are very persistent and refuse to give up when ignored. If the person you’re trying to keep away from keeps texting you, you can block their number. That way, you won’t see their messages anymore and won’t have to worry about them bothering you.

Never contact that person again.

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Be firm with your decision so as not to mislead the other party. Ghosting is a serious decision and not one you can take back anytime soon. The act of reconnecting with someone you’ve ignored is called “zombie texting” and can be confusing (or frustrating) for the person you’re trying to reconnect with. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you feel guilty after ignoring someone, you can text to apologize if you want. However, it is unlikely that they have forgiven you, and you may still never receive messages from them again.

Steps