dead air

noun

: a period of silence especially during a broadcast

Examples of dead air in a Sentence

After the commercial, there were a few seconds of dead air before the show continued.
Recent Examples on the Web Belichick’s Zoom seemed to be operating at a three-second lag, which led to some early spasms of crosstalk and compensatory stretches of dead air. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Sep. 2024 Tirico was bland, Manning prone to anxiously filling dead air and Clarkson, after bringing her trademark giddiness to the first hour, was nearly silent for the rest until Dion reduced her (and countless others) to tears. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Fighting through warm dead air and a pesky Brewers offense, Glasnow was an ace for five innings. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2024 The live element keeps the show exciting, with a crammed roster of guests, discussion topics, and running gags preventing dead air. Judy Berman, TIME, 10 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for dead air 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead air.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead air was circa 1943

Dictionary Entries Near dead air

Cite this Entry

“Dead air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20air. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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