1
as in shushing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suppressing
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
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Recent Examples of silencing
Trump’s immigration policies don’t make sense as a pro-worker agenda, but do make sense as a way of silencing dissent and keeping out nonwhite immigrants.
—
Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Students have been instructed to continue sheltering in place until further notice, locking doors and silencing phones.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 13 Dec. 2025
These practices reveal a government intent not only on silencing words but on erasing belief itself.
—Oscar Biscet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Bradford helped oversee it with Sidney’s late father, eventually twisting it to advance her own motives, erasing missions and silencing leaks.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Sidney Crosby, who has long taken particular delight in silencing the citizens in the eastern part of the commonwealth, did it again Monday.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Caleb Williams and the Bears won a crucial game on the road, silencing some doubters who questioned their 8-3 record compared to the Eagles’ identical record entering the Prime Video matchup.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Dozens of pending lawsuits accuse churches of shielding predators, silencing victims and allowing abuse to fester unchecked.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
The British did not have legislation as all-silencing as this.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Students have been instructed to continue sheltering in place until further notice, locking doors and silencing phones.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 13 Dec. 2025
These practices reveal a government intent not only on silencing words but on erasing belief itself.
—Oscar Biscet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Bradford helped oversee it with Sidney’s late father, eventually twisting it to advance her own motives, erasing missions and silencing leaks.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Sidney Crosby, who has long taken particular delight in silencing the citizens in the eastern part of the commonwealth, did it again Monday.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Caleb Williams and the Bears won a crucial game on the road, silencing some doubters who questioned their 8-3 record compared to the Eagles’ identical record entering the Prime Video matchup.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Dozens of pending lawsuits accuse churches of shielding predators, silencing victims and allowing abuse to fester unchecked.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
The British did not have legislation as all-silencing as this.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silencing
Verb
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After once rising from her seat to scold a man recording the broadcast on his phone to shushing in-studio viewers during an interview with Zohran Mamdani, Whoopi Goldberg just wrote another chapter in her comical relationship with The View's studio audience.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
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The snow was shushing off the roof of the garage and down on the driveway.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There’s plenty to like about both veteran pitchers and reason to believe that competing in a home run-suppressing environment will allow their attributes to play up.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Foulk argued Barrett was suppressing evidence by preventing the state from presenting certain tax returns and Illinois Department of Revenue testimony.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dave Chappelle – Live July 14, 2023 Comedy at this scale functions strangely — a stadium quieting itself to hear one person think out loud.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Dec. 2025
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Gilma Pereda was having trouble quieting her brain.—
Katie Lauer,
Mercury News,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This potency can be a good thing for quelling inflammation—but also calls for caution.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
9 Dec. 2025
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But the sentiment — quelling a craving, fueling a fervor, feeding the psychic hunger of a fanbase famished for reasons to celebrate ostentatiously — is applicable more broadly, too.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The newsroom union claims the change is throttling staff diversity and muting the magazine’s progressive political bent.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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And Democrats will remain the side fond of muting dissent.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
5 Jan. 2026
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The past two months of mostly sideways churn within 3% of record highs for the S & P 500 has helped to rebalance the market, puncturing the aggressive sense of destiny around many AI plays, subduing some speculative misbehavior and allowing valuations to settle.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
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Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This week is pushing you to speak up and stop repressing your truth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Critics, though, have argued that these efforts are serving to distract from the country’s record of repressing free speech and dissent, as well as human rights violations, which have been widely reported.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silencing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silencing. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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