NONSPEAKING Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

nonspeaking

adjective

Definition of nonspeaking

as in wordless

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of nonspeaking Her oldest child is autistic and nonspeaking, and needs significant attention and care, and the baby had been teething and not sleeping well. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 Adele got a nonspeaking part in the human machine that would gouge the prisoner’s sentence into the officer’s body. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 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

Four people in a room, playing together, cameras catching all of their wordless communication, their concentration and their intensity in full focus.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
Lee’s wordless metaphors urge us to consider something at the margins of language, logic, and experience.

— Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of wordless

Adjective

Star winger Lionel Messi, the MLS leader in assists and goals, was rather silent against Cincinnati, finishing with zero shots on target and a yellow card.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
There’s also a traveling circus, a silent film theater, The Speakeasy and a look inside the Dundee Daily News.

— Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of silent

Adjective

Texas Football season ticket holders will not have access to their reserved seats for the show, and there aren’t any presales through Texas Athletics.

— Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 29 Oct. 2026
Santaland will be located on the eighth floor, featuring Santa photos, festive treats and surprises with select dates open to the public and others for reserved appointments.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of reserved

Adjective

The Kremlin has also been mum about the ceasefire, with Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying the diesel deal and a broader peace agreement were on separate tracks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Moreno is mum about what transpired at the reunion, which airs on Monday, August 31, but says that Dean approached her in the hallway to clear the air.

— Paula Mejía, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mum

Adjective

Hedge-fund-rich Sang-woo has an air of cool privilege, while the gloomy, taciturn Ho-seok harbors unprocessed trauma about what happened during the strike, the details of which are judiciously doled out to us in flashbacks.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
While uptight Elinor excels at hiding her feelings for the similarly taciturn Edward, Marianne goes wild (nearly feral, really) when new neighbor Willoughby saves her from physical injury (literally sweeping her off her feet and a wincing ankle).

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of taciturn

Adjective

Staff being uncommunicative with EMS workers.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 June 2026
Just as importantly, His voice was loud and and clear in marshalling a Chelsea back line that has too often appeared quiet and uncommunicative in his absence this season.

— Simon Johnson, New York Times, 16 May 2026

Definition of uncommunicative

Browse Nearby Words

nonsocial

nonspeaking

nonspecific

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Nonspeaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonspeaking. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonspeaking

adjective

Example Sentences

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