shushed

verb

past tense of shush
as in silenced
to stop the noise or speech of shushed the crying baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 shushed Mitchell shushed those who’d forgotten to mute and introduced John Solomon, an ally of hers who was helping prepare the speech. — Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 28 Oct. 2026 They were repeatedly shushed instead as the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) fell to 13-10 in their marquee event after failing to keep pace with a USC offense that averaged nearly eight yards per play through the first three quarters. — ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026 As the moment unfolded, Savannah shushed the future king and even briefly placed her hand over his mouth in an effort to keep him composed. — Staff Author, InStyle, 13 June 2026 The Giants offense got shushed Wednesday night by Shohei Ohtani, and their hitters went down almost as quietly against right-hander Emmet Sheehan. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026 To the point where Reid shushed him down at times. — Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026 Lyonne shushed the staffer, got up and headed to the bathroom, according to Page Six. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026 Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent. — CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026 Jena asked, for which she was shushed), that was spotted and strong enough to kill a man. — Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shushed
  1. silenced
  2. quieted
  3. hushed
  4. muted
  5. settled
  6. stilled
Verb
  • But the energy shock caused by the Iran war has silenced the debate.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Independent journalists have been silenced or forced into exile.
    — Lynn Northcutt Vega, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of silenced
Verb
  • Hundreds of people responsible for 73 million Americans’ health care quieted as conference room lights dimmed and Mehmet Oz’s face appeared on giant screens Thursday morning.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026
  • It’s been a tumultuous journey but coming to Atlanta this season has been the perfect move for the three-time All-Star, whose accomplishments this year have quieted many of her critics.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of quieted
Verb
  • Hans Op de Beeck’s first dalliance with a luxury house feels a lot like his art — hushed, contemplative, and slightly under the radar.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The lounge is a real scene, especially during afternoon tea, when a perfectly coiffed crowd has hushed discussions about worldly matters.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of hushed
Verb
  • His social media accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo were also subsequently muted, according to Renmin Ruiping, People's Daily's online commentary platform.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Investor reaction was muted, with the three major indexes remaining essentially flat after the Fed's announcement.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of muted
Verb
  • When Roddenberry wanted a character who might draw younger viewers to Star Trek, the physical resemblance to the Monkees singer settled the matter.
    — Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this month, Minnesota Vikings fans who’d settled in for the team’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins were surprised to see a Paxton ad show up during one of the in-game breaks.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of settled
Verb
  • Rebecca’s hands stilled, and the girl stared at her grandmother, wide-eyed.
    — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Both the Moody Mansion and the 1892 Bishop’s Palace are museums stilled in time and filled with the marks of late 19th-century splendor.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
Definition of stilled

Browse Nearby Words

shush
shushed
shushes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shushed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shushed. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All