Why he's suddenly texting you short replies and what to do

When someone goes from having real conversations to sending 'k' and 'lol' and 'yeah', something changed. The question is what. A sudden drop in effort usually means he got busier or distracted on his end, or something shifted on yours. He may have actually gotten busier, which happens, but also something he could work around if you mattered to him. More often, the shift signals he's mentally stepped back. Maybe he's talking to someone else. Maybe the early spark wore off and he's testing whether you'll keep chasing. Maybe he realized you want something he doesn't. The timing matters too. If this started right after you suggested meeting up, or after you brought up something serious, the dryness is a response. If it came out of nowhere, he's probably signaling that his interest level has dropped without saying it directly.

A good reply has one job. It stops rewarding his low effort while staying open to real conversation if he wants it. This means you cannot match his tone by going dry back, because that just kills the thread. You also cannot overshare or ask a bunch of questions, because that rewards his silence with more of your energy. Instead, your message should either require substance to answer, or it should be so short that it doesn't give him anything to coast on. If you ask something, it has to be something only he can answer well, not another yes or no. If you just respond briefly, keep it light enough that you look unbothered, not cold. The goal is to show him that real conversation goes both ways, and low effort gets low investment from you.

Send your reply when you have it, then set a boundary in your head about how long you will wait. Three days is reasonable. If he doesn't come back with real effort in that window, you have your answer. Do not send a follow-up message asking why he is being distant. That puts pressure on him to perform and hands him control of the conversation again. If he ghosted or went back to one-word answers, let the chat sit. If he reaches out later with better energy, you can respond. But do not restart a conversation you already tried to move. Going back a fourth or fifth time tells him you are willing to invest alone, and that kills any reason for him to step up. The hardest part is accepting that silence is information too. No response is a response.