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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of silence
Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026
Zaslav’s initial silence paid off handsomely.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that its gene-silencing candidates helped people with obesity lose fat, very early results that could intensify the competition among biotechs to develop longer-lasting weight loss drugs.
—Elaine Chen, STAT, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silence
Noun
Soon the echoing silence at the Iowa Capitol will be replaced by the cacophony of democracy in action.
—Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026
Zaslav’s initial silence paid off handsomely.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Against a backdrop of a world divided, these teens rise with fire, wit, and unshakable humanity – delivering a masterclass in courage, conviction, and the kind of hope that refuses to be silenced.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that its gene-silencing candidates helped people with obesity lose fat, very early results that could intensify the competition among biotechs to develop longer-lasting weight loss drugs.
—Elaine Chen, STAT, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
-
Nature and animals became companions, and moments of stillness carried meaning.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
There was an air of somber stillness, with the mostly young crowd sharing hugs, and expressions of shock and disbelief.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An anxious quiet fell over Venezuela ‘s capital on Sunday as trepidation mixed with joy while a nation waited to see what comes next.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Fortune,
4 Jan. 2026
-
In the quiet between waves, her memory will surface—bright, bold, unforgotten.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This has empowered the external opposition, growing out of Iran’s large diaspora and pulling figures such as Pahlavi out of relative obscurity.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Other aldermen also emerged from relative obscurity as the council flexed muscles always institutionally available but rarely employed.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
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
-
The lawsuit alleges that for more than a decade, beginning at least as early as January 2015, Pepsi and Walmart used their dominant positions in the beverage and grocery markets to suppress price competition.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The largest anti-government demonstrations to rock Iran in recent years intensified Friday night, fueling fears of growing fatalities as authorities battle to suppress the protests.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There is also a lot to appreciate in the quietness of the season.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Morchhale explains that quietness should not be mistaken for passive surrender.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Tarr told his sweeping film in chapters, and the prolonged runtime was crucial to the story’s power, showing an entire world devolving into hopelessness and oblivion, practically in real time.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
-
But automobiles with manual transmission appear to be on a road to oblivion as technology transforms cars into computers on wheels.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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