conspiracy of silence
noun phrase
: a secret agreement to keep silent about an occurrence, situation, or subject especially in order to promote or protect selfish interests
Examples of conspiracy of silence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was no conspiracy of silence, just the public’s short memory.
—
Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2025
Starmer said there was no conspiracy of silence, just a desire to see justice done.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
The conspiracy of silence, as New York magazine has called it, unraveled after Biden’s catastrophic performance in the debate.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2024
But there is a silver lining to all this: both Musharraf’s indictment and Mir’s defiance may mean that the military can no longer take for granted the conspiracy of silence that surrounds its unlawful actions.
—Aqil Shah, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2014
Consumed by their own suffering, most people simply didn’t want to know, and a conspiracy of silence was established.
—Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023
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Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2025
Starmer said there was no conspiracy of silence, just a desire to see justice done.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
The conspiracy of silence, as New York magazine has called it, unraveled after Biden’s catastrophic performance in the debate.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2024
But there is a silver lining to all this: both Musharraf’s indictment and Mir’s defiance may mean that the military can no longer take for granted the conspiracy of silence that surrounds its unlawful actions.
—Aqil Shah, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2014
Consumed by their own suffering, most people simply didn’t want to know, and a conspiracy of silence was established.
—Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracy of silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy%20of%20silence. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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