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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
brutally silenced all political dissent in the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of silence
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 May 2025
The unbearable silence, save for the ticking of a clock, is palpable.
—Lauren Wissot, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
But Sale has silenced most of that talk in his past five starts, posting a 2.20 ERA with 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 28 2/3 innings, and lasting 7, 6 2/3 and 5 2/3 innings in his past three.
—David O'Brien, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for silence
Noun
In the silence that ensued, Ramaphosa took the question instead.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 May 2025
The unbearable silence, save for the ticking of a clock, is palpable.
—Lauren Wissot, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Verb
The voices that once boldly spoke out against the Soviet regime have long since been silenced.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
But Sale has silenced most of that talk in his past five starts, posting a 2.20 ERA with 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 28 2/3 innings, and lasting 7, 6 2/3 and 5 2/3 innings in his past three.
—David O'Brien, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for silence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
-
From the misty hills of Harpers Ferry to the cosmic quiet of Green Bank, here’s how to explore one of the country’s most underrated summer destinations from east to west.—
West Virginia Tourism Office,
AFAR Media,
9 May 2025
-
In the quiet of his private room, Trinita shares a painful memory of her past.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His sister’s rationale for sticking with Malassezia was that the name’s obscurity would shield it from scrutiny.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
26 May 2025
-
Less visible are the civil rights struggles its Asian American community fought to attain. State of play: Though figures like Wong Kim Ark have received more attention in recent years, there are still a plethora who remain in obscurity.—
Shawna Chen,
Axios,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Collectively, thousands of fans shushed each other to help Brunson focus.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
May 15, 2025 Suleymanov shushed the St. Louis supporters and later cupped his hands to his ears while gathering the ball for a throw-in.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
Eight engines, three water tenders, two dozers and one hand crew are working to suppress the fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
26 May 2025
-
And in 1955, the McGee Fire burned through much of Converse Basin, consuming second-growth sequoias and demonstrating the dangers of suppressing all fires.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
The Top 14 singers will perform alongside the trio for one last chance to dazzle the crowd, or risk fading into oblivion.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
Plus, the Russian economy indeed switched to 'war mode,' and the arms industry is now massively manufacturing large quantities of drones, missiles, and bombs to bombard Ukraine into oblivion.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Throughout January and February, the neighborhood’s streets were hushed, the Latin American restaurants emptier.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
But the confidence and craftsmanship invested in Crash are, ultimately, the problem, because the infuriatingly contrived screenplay and hushed seriousness conspire to produce a risible portrait of complex social issues reduced to glib plot points.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But the comeback attempts staged by the visitors were repeatedly quelled by one of their greatest strengths.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
In that case, Israeli soldiers fired live rounds into the air to disperse crowds, with the GHF seeking to quell concerns over its rocky first week of operations in a news release Wednesday.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Also of note: The Beavers don’t have much NIL money compared to other top-10 programs, according to multiple sources inside and outside the program who spoke on the condition of anonymity.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
The woman shared her story under the condition of anonymity and took the stand under the name Mia and was identified as Victim-4.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share