1
as in stillness
incapacity for or restraint from speaking
the violinist expects complete silence from the audience during his concerts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quiet
the near or complete absence of sound
the silence of the garden was refreshing after the din of the party inside
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3
as in obscurity
the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown
the book eventually vanished into the silence that awaits best sellers whose time has past
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1
as in to quiet
to stop the noise or speech of
the instructor quickly silenced anyone who tried to interrupt we need to have a repairman come and silence that door alarm
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2
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
brutally silenced all political dissent in the country
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of silence
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
This stands in stark contrast to Trump’s silence on the issue throughout her tenure as First Lady.
—Elizabeth Rees / Made By History, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 5 Nov. 2024
Though some individuals did not condone certain social media posts, including the cartoon, there is a concern that Grierson’s decision has contributed to silencing a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for silence 
Noun
Grandmother moves off, collecting more in the silence of the dawn, while Mother shows me how to cut the grass.
—Verb
Perplexity seeks to silence the haters with its election site.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
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Returning to the island at the end of a busy day and experiencing a rare quiet that’s almost impossible to to find in New York—even for someone who’s lived there for over a decade.Laura Parker, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
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Yaeji's With a Hammer takes one idea—namely, the volcano of rage that bubbled up inside the Korean-American artist during the quiet of the pandemic—and studies it from every angle.Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Kelce needn’t demonstrate expertise, and neither does the panel of celebrity-class obscurities: Nicole Byer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ron Funches, Lala Kent, and Sophia Stallone, who each recall schoolroom nobodies.Armond White, National Review, 16 Oct. 2024
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Trailblazers Some of the sharpest minds in science will be thrust from academic obscurity into the spotlight next week when the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine are announced.Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The Brazilian is back in the headlines for cupping his ears and shushing the home crowd at the weekend as Madrid beat Real Sociedad 2-0 in Anoeta.Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
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Sheppard immediately popped up from his scoring catch and shushed the Knights students, whose jeers were well within earshot.Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
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According to Richard Seager, a climate scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the cause of the current drought is some random atmospheric variability: a high-pressure system over the central and eastern United States that is suppressing rainfall and refusing to budge.M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2024
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How to cope right now Don’t suppress your emotions, process them In the immediate aftermath of the election results, you may be flooded with emotions ranging from despair to rage.Allie Volpe, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Promises her who knows what, seeing that she’s got to drink herself to oblivion constantly and choke down pills for her unendurable pain.Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
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Pressly offers an antidote to this fearful existence, inviting readers to slip into oblivion: to recognize the freedom of being temporarily forgotten, and resist the forces that reduce them to what can be gleaned on the internet.John Kaag, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Matthews’ voice swung from gravelly to hushed in a simple, affecting tribute.Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
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Throughout the first act, the auditorium was hushed.Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The most recent time it was used was in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush after both city and state leaders asked for federal help to quell the L.A. riots.Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2024
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Landing the highly touted prospect may quell speculation that Sanders would leave Boulder for a head coaching job in the NFL.Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The publication cited two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, in reporting that the leaders of the incoming administration's DOGE discussed the idea of crafting a mobile app to file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.Kate Gibson, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2024
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The aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted the GOP's struggle to pick a leader in 2023, when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was selected after 15 votes.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near silence
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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