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
Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 4 Nov. 2025
On November 3, Paddington’s press tour brought him to the BBC, where journalist David Sillito was stunned into silence after seeing the bear in the flesh fur.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
David Culver, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
In an hour’s span, three trucks leaving the construction site silenced the conversation, growling loudly down Rockland Drive.
—Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silence
Noun
There is power and authority in silence when people are popping off.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 4 Nov. 2025
On November 3, Paddington’s press tour brought him to the BBC, where journalist David Sillito was stunned into silence after seeing the bear in the flesh fur.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
The scent of smoke and the rhythm of song fill what silence the storm left behind.
—David Culver, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
In an hour’s span, three trucks leaving the construction site silenced the conversation, growling loudly down Rockland Drive.
—Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
-
Her work makes room for stillness and reflection, particularly for women who carry so much, so silently.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Clearly, these two adore each other — just look at their sweet moment of stillness amidst all the commotion on the red carpet.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Silver Hugo for Best Sound goes to SOUND OF FALLING for its ability to echo, in both its silences and thunders, the constant hum of secrets passed from one generation to the next in the apparent domestic quiet that both conceals and reveals.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In the quiet of the Sabbath morning when all the neighborhood was wrapped in slumber, some dastardly degenerate crept into the room, choked her to death, assaulted her criminally and left her bruised and bleeding body lying on the bed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Daisy Jones & the Six chronicles the rise and fall of a group fronted by two charismatic lead singers—Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne—and their journey from obscurity to fame, complete with romantic tensions, personal crises, and drug problems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
-
As national headlines rightfully celebrated Parks’ courage and the charismatic leadership of King in fomenting and sustaining the boycott, Gilmore continued to cook in quiet obscurity.—
Time,
Time,
6 Nov. 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
-
The weight-loss drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, or GLP-1s, suppress the appetite of users, leading to weight loss.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The experimental once-weekly drug, eloralintide, belongs to the class of drugs that mimic the pancreatic hormone amylin which slows digestion and suppresses hunger.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 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
-
This one strikes a mid-century chord with its wide face and retro time display, with an atomic dial and silent-sweep movement to maximize quietness.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
21 Oct. 2025
-
But, unsurprisingly, his favorite aspect of the place is its profound quietness.—
Rosecrans Baldwin,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Over the past five decades, Journey have been through an astounding number of lineup changes, but the band has found its way back from oblivion time and and time again.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In the 1940s, at the Viking Press, Cowley initiated the resurrection of William Faulkner from oblivion, a project that put the writer on the syllabus in the ever-expanding postwar university, brought the rest of his work back into print, and surely helped win him the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature.—
Michael Gorra,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share