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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
-
When the first hook comes back around after Earl’s slinky verse, Niontay’s staccato punchlines lose all shape and melt into a putty of wordless, gurgling melody.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
19 Mar. 2026
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There may be fewer scenes in the Causeway oeuvre more chilling than a wordless opening when Kori (Emily Browning) gives a contemptuous once-over to the pile of greasy food in front of her at a pub while her boyfriend Nick (Jai Courtney) is fetching some pints.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Both sides are silent right now, but a release from the WGA and the AMPTP is expected soon(ish).—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But the most impactful force on the court could be the silent, invisible sixth man – the mind gym.—
Haley Sawyer,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
May is the most reserved of the four coaches, but lets his players get emotional on the court without trying to rein them in, trusting them to play under control.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Add American cheese, remaining 1 cup cheddar, and reserved soaking water; stir vigorously until most of the cheese is melted (some small lumps of cheese will remain and that is OK) and water is absorbed.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Havana had been mum on talks with Rubio.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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While Kidman and Curtis were mum about their hopes and plans for season two, their co-stars — who are not producers — were a little more forthcoming.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Pappy, his taciturn father, had died a few years before, and Grandmom Hilda now lived alone with a bulldog named Sammy.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Mueller’s stern visage and taciturn demeanor matched the seriousness of the mission, as his team spent nearly two years quietly conducting one of the most consequential, yet divisive, investigations in Justice Department history.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Dysfunctional families can look many different ways, but typically are controlling, secretive, neglectful, and uncommunicative.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Her high-school senior daughter Josie (Chloe East) is terse and uncommunicative with her, angry about how much space her mother’s drama has taken up in everyone else’s life.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Here is an echoey and relatively quiet limestone room full of people — Mondragon’s deep laconic monotone would attract attention in a second.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Maybe quiet parenting, like quiet quitting and quiet luxury before it, could catch on as a meme among key influencers.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Dan Campbell said the quiet part out loud, a bit unprompted, when asked about his confidence level in potentially moving star right tackle Penei Sewell to left tackle.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonspeaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonspeaking. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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