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
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 silence
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Allen broke his silence on his most beloved co-star in a Sunday night essay posted to The Free Press.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
There was no such list, it was announced, and Epstein definitely committed suicide and wasn’t, as the conspiracy-minded suggest, murdered by those wishing to silence him.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silence
Noun
And then, aside from a few guest appearances, silence.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Allen broke his silence on his most beloved co-star in a Sunday night essay posted to The Free Press.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Los Angeles Dodgers, after silencing the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, Tuesday night in front of a subdued crowd at American Family Field, are putting on one of the most dominant pitching clinics in the league.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
There was no such list, it was announced, and Epstein definitely committed suicide and wasn’t, as the conspiracy-minded suggest, murdered by those wishing to silence him.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
-
Because so much about being Black in America is about endurance, the daily negotiation between visibility and erasure, between power and stillness.—
Marcus J. Moore,
Pitchfork,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Just a hollow stillness and sense of guilt.—
Reem Kassis,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The yachts which have thronged the bay are fewer as summer gives way to fall, but the off-season quiet has its own appeal for visitors wanting a slice of paradise to themselves.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Or escape completely from the fray and bask in the quiet of the adults-only Hibiscus Pool or the 50,000-square-foot spa, the largest in the state.—
Forbes Travel Guide,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Mendoza rose out of recruiting obscurity.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Their relative obscurity may have also been an advantage.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the clip, the then-6-year-old can be seen walking with his iPad to the next room and shushing everyone.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The View has a long history of guests receiving sustained standing ovations — and Goldberg attempting to shush rowdy audience members.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their discoveries have opened new paths for therapies that either suppress or activate immune responses, depending on the disease.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Major evidence, including the alleged murder weapon, was suppressed as a result.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But, unsurprisingly, his favorite aspect of the place is its profound quietness.—
Rosecrans Baldwin,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
-
That quietness wasn't typical, Chyna Sands said.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In other words, Steve is a lot to play, and the Oscar-winner throws himself into every forlorn expression, every kindly mentoring session, every manic bit of rushing to and fro as chaos reigns around him, every stumbling step toward self-medicating into oblivion.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
-
But regardless of how things play out, the media business appears to be entering an era in which network affiliates are not sitting back and waiting for the sector to disappear into oblivion.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share