Ghosting: The act of cutting contact completely and abruptly with a romantic partner, often with no explanation. Evidence you’re being ghosted: you’ve been on delivered (your text message has gone unanswered) for more than two days, they were active on Instagram more recently than they’ve texted you, response times are gradually increasing.

Love bombing: Showing a person a lot of love or positive attention for only a short period of time; often seen as emotional manipulation. Signs you’re being love bombed: constant messaging, premature future plans and disproportionate gifting.

Red Flag: A sign pointing to a problem, danger or irregularity in a relationship, specific behaviors or traits that hint to a potentially harmful partner, or warning signs for future romantic interactions. Examples of common red flags include love bombing, lack of accountability, gaslighting or backhanded compliments.

Situationship: An absence of clear definitions/labels or long-term commitment in a romantic or sexual relationship. Signs you’re in a situationship: when you text, you consciously try to match their long response times, they haven’t told any of their friends of your existence, you might be afraid to ask “What are we?”

Soft Launch: Repeatedly posting partial clues about a new relationship on social media, hinting about a romantic partner without ever showing their face. Soft launch ideas: Sharing a picture of two coffee cups, a hand resting on a table, or the back of someone’s head.