silent auction

noun

: an auction in which sealed bids are submitted beforehand

Examples of silent auction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, the animal shelter held a silent auction among the four contenders who had come forward wanting to adopt him. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Sponsorships, silent auction donations and spreading the word about the event are ways the public can help the event, which is expected to draw about 200 to 250 people. — Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

The trackside evening will feature dinner, music, live and silent auctions, and the announcement of the 2026 Youth of the Year. — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Silicon Valley private schools are trading silent auctions for cap tables with a handful of Bay Area campuses now running miniature venture funds steered by parent-investors from Sequoia, Lightspeed, and Battery. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for silent auction

• concoction
• decoction