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Recent Examples of nonspeaking
Jude opted for the nonspeaking part, playing a baleen whale, minding his own business.
—
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Finally, a shout-out to actor Ryan Cooper, who plays the dead man, for the most part a nonspeaking role.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 15 June 2017
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Finally, a shout-out to actor Ryan Cooper, who plays the dead man, for the most part a nonspeaking role.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 15 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonspeaking
Adjective
-
The wordless shot of the three guys enjoying doughnuts on their stakeout is worth a thousand hilarious words, and the back-and-forth where Greg attempts to get Officer Rory to convince Tommy to stay in college is very funny.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Souza, a Grammy Award-winner with 15 solo albums to her credit, soars with equal ease whether singing heartfelt lyrics or wordless melodies.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In its megacities and beyond, traffic is increasingly falling silent, the dull whir of the electric motor replacing the purr of an internal combustion engine.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
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This is where Audible will host events nearly every day this month, including author conversations, trivia, open mics, craft workshops and silent book clubs.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ted’s a tad reserved and cold in his treatment of Annie.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That turn in the national spotlight was in stark contrast to Hughes’ reserved nature.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As for interior, the yard was mum on those details for now, at least.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Thales finally talks Thales had remained mum about these various issues and did not offer a comment until Monday morning, nearly five days after Isaacman’s testimony.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And Belichick, known for being extremely press-shy and taciturn, has returned the favor by showing his affection for her on social media and beyond.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier this month, Michels attended the world premiere of his documentary at New York's Lincoln Center, and was characteristically taciturn in his praise.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The very existence of the trust reveals something about how far the avoidance has gone: families so uncommunicative about wealth that the inheritance conversation has been outsourced, formalized, and calendared like a board meeting.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 May 2026
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The letter writer resented that a friend’s teenage son was uncommunicative, seemingly rude and wore headphones at joint family dinners.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even a lot of contemporary fiction, where the scenario of characters agonizing over whether to have children has become quite common, defaults to a laconic style (very short paragraphs separated by empty space, for example) that channels the familiar wariness about lushness.—
Aaron Matz,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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What’s changed in the 40 years since Predator is that action heroes can’t be mysterious and laconic any more.—
Chris Klimek,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As a national icon, the Natural Bridge served as a quiet, Emersonian rebuke to Europe’s militaristic triumphal arches, reinforcing the naturalness of American democracy.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
This peaceful hotel feels like a library—warm, bookish, and sanctuary-like—though most guests congregate in quiet nooks between the hibiscus flowers, grapefruit trees, and pines that predate the property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonspeaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonspeaking. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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