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
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Recent Examples of silence
Alex Connor, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
In the past year, their silence broken by the abolition of the police force, residents have started trading stories.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
In this trial, participants received a treatment that carried new genetic instructions into the brain to reduce production of and silence the mutant huntingtin protein.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silence
Noun
The outpouring of support for Vonn began immediately as the crowd in Cortina watched on in silence.
—Alex Connor, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
In the past year, their silence broken by the abolition of the police force, residents have started trading stories.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
The ardor of contention, the pride of victory, the despair of success, the memory of past injuries and the fear of future dangers all contribute to inflame the mind and to silence the voice of pity.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
In this trial, participants received a treatment that carried new genetic instructions into the brain to reduce production of and silence the mutant huntingtin protein.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
-
On days when my mind felt overstimulated, a few minutes of slower breathing or humming offered a physical cue that things were stable—without requiring stillness, silence or concentration.—
Chloe Burcham,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Orest, who has worked at the plant for almost twenty-eight years, said that the stillness got to him most during his night shifts.—
Michael Holtz,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When the crashing stopped, an eerie quiet fell over the highway.—
Nichole Manna,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Since the departure of National Guardsmen from the state, there has been an uneasy quiet in Portland.—
James Ross Gardner,
New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For a band that has spent so much of its career in relative obscurity, the Blue Nile have had disproportionate brushes with fame.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
1 Feb. 2026
-
In the years following, Thomas went on to write and produce songs for Zendaya (another child-star alum), Post Malone, Kehlani, Drake, and Jack Harlow, contracting out his ear for sticky melodies and accessible lyricism all while quietly releasing mixtapes under his own name in obscurity.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kempe then put a gloved finger to his lips, shushing the sixth consecutive sellout crowd in Anaheim.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The regime is resorting to massacres to suppress the unrest.—
Shahrnush Parsipur,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
-
What is striking is not what has been abolished but what has been absorbed, suppressed, or quietly overridden.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Combine that with EVs’ inherent benefits—quietness, smoothness, and low operating costs—and the case for electrification becomes irresistible.—
Alex Hewitt,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Jan. 2026
-
There is also a lot to appreciate in the quietness of the season.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Conservatives, staring at electoral oblivion, hastily followed suit, pledging to repeal the Climate Change Act.—
Bjorn Lomborg,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
My love, there is no oblivion, no dream.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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