1
as in speechless
deliberately refraining from speech
the suddenly silent child had to be prompted to say hello
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
a naturally silent boy, he was often overshadowed by his louder siblings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in quieted
mostly or entirely without sound
the room was so silent that you could have heard the proverbial pin drop
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in talkie
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silent
Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
As American filmmaking was transitioning from silents to sound in the late 1920s, the industry itself was growing more conservative.
—Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
His devastating cuts to Medicaid and anti-hunger programs, silent again.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silent
Adjective
Chaplin’s run of silents continued into the talkie era.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
As American filmmaking was transitioning from silents to sound in the late 1920s, the industry itself was growing more conservative.
—Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023
Noun
After that, enjoy silent reading time in the park.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
His devastating cuts to Medicaid and anti-hunger programs, silent again.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silent
Adjective
-
In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
-
Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Reservations include a reserved seat and access to the full menu.—
Nasha Smith,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Vigorously stir the noodles for a minute, adding some reserved cooking water, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Late in his career, Redford received acclaim for his nearly wordless performance as a sailor struggling to survive at sea.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Adama nodded in a wordless acknowledgment of the wings’ significance.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Climate scientists have long been vexed by the disconnect between the dire warnings blared by their models and the restrained policies enacted by world leaders.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
There is nothing restrained about the family room, with brick walls that feature a bright splash of chartreuse (Benjamin Moore’s Wasabi, AF-430).—
Jeanne Lyons Davis,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On highways and surface roads in the rural countryside west of Detroit, the 2025 Ford Explorer was smooth and quiet, with plenty of power for highway acceleration.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The peak of hurricane season is here, and activity could soon ramp up, despite the relative quiet currently occurring in the tropics, according to meteorologists.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The couple's other projects in development at Netflix include a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel Meet Me at the Lake and a documentary short called Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Clone Wars originally aired in 2003 as a series of shorts on Cartoon Network, employing Tartakovsky’s signature style of angular forms, kinetic action and sparse dialogue.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Today, the buildings stand as mute witnesses to the mobilization of past war efforts.—
Don Sproul,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Bluesky users also appreciated the moderation on the platform and having the ability to block or mute people as a means of disengaging from more aggressive, unpleasant conversations.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The film follows a young drifter and a taciturn trucker who link up and forge a precarious bond on Mexico’s dangerous highways.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Young, unemployed family man Nick (MacKay) volunteers to take the boat back out, along with taciturn, new-in-town drifter Liam (Turner) and grizzled seadog Murgey (Francis Magee).—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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