silencing

verb

present participle of silence
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

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 silencing Like in Dickinson’s poem, anger often feels like the only way to assert oneself in a society that seems hell-bent on silencing women and girls. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 27 July 2026 One attendee dressed as Brandon Scott Jones’ Isaac Higgintoot suggested that, perhaps, the Revolutionary War vet had something to do with the unfortunate, silencing crack in the Liberty Bell. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 July 2026 Rebecca Solnit on the Odyssey and the Western literary tradition of silencing women. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026 However, defaulting to groupthink does a disservice to everyone by silencing outlier good ideas. — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Amusing, yes, but this is also an act of silencing, maybe even passive-aggressive violence. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 Across the globe, populist leaders and fundamentalist factions attempt to consolidate power by dividing populations and silencing dissent. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 20 July 2026 The former staffers’ attorneys tried to force her to testify in this week’s trial against Basabe, and plaintiffs have pointed to her noncooperation as evidence of the alleged House cover-up of Basabe’s actions and silencing of potential witnesses. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026 Meanwhile, Roche has abandoned two Huntington’s gene-silencing drugs after disappointing data, and drugmakers have stepped in to promote Medicare’s new obesity drug discount program. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silencing
  1. shushing
  2. suppressing
  3. quieting
  4. quelling
  5. muting
  6. subduing
  7. hushing
  8. repressing
Verb
  • Trae Young won Madison Square Garden’s undying enmity in the 2021 playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks, punctuating game-breaking shots by shushing the crowd or bowing to the fans and waving goodbye.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
  • Wine country with kids in tow doesn’t have to mean a stressful afternoon of shushing and screen time.
    — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026
Definition of shushing
Verb
  • Jokes about Modi were rare during earlier protests, when his government was criticized for suppressing dissent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The idea is to enable riders to accelerate earlier and utilize more of the motorcycle’s capabilities when traction gets erratic rather than just suppressing wheelspin.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • Performed beneath a continuous gentle rain of warm seawater, this experience combines mineral-rich marine exposure and thermal comfort soothing aching muscles along the way and quieting the mind.
    — Rana Good, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026
  • However, the Rams’ acquisition of Garrett puts a team that was firmly a Super Bowl favorite back in the conversation for a 2026 Super Bowl run, quieting the doubters who rose after the 2026 NFL Draft.
    — Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Definition of quieting
Verb
  • Aside from Spain’s progress in quelling the fires this week, there are still active fires in France to consider, since the particulate matter could continue drifting across large portions of its neighboring nation.
    — T. Michelle Murphy, Time, 29 July 2026
  • Other ubiquitous Chinese deities, such as the regal Jade Emperor, the faithful warrior Guan Yu, the wondrous savior Mazu, and the demon-quelling Zhong Kui, fill both the popular imagination and the stuff of Daoist ritual.
    — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • During the third act, in a cunning effect, when anyone picks up a phone, the screen’s contents are displayed on a wall as the lights fade, muting the friends onstage.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • But the field has struggled to figure out a means of delivering RNA-muting molecules into organs and tissues beyond the liver, which has limited their reach.
    — Elaine Chen, STAT, 9 June 2026
Definition of muting
Verb
  • This means the market makers, often called dealers, are the ones that have to play catch-up, adding to volatility instead of subduing it.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • Rome — The death of a Moroccan man in police custody has sparked protests – some violent – in the northern city of Bologna after video of the incident showing officers forcefully subduing the man circulated online.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of subduing
Verb
  • If you’re used to traditional decluttering strategies that focus on sorting and purging, house hushing might feel strange.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of hushing
Verb
  • When elites are strong, dictators need to accommodate them, often by repressing outsiders to shield insiders from potential challenges.
    — José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
  • Normally, this modifier gene suppresses the creation of a second kind of hemoglobin, typically made only during fetal development; repressing the gene prompts cells to start making the fetal form of hemoglobin again, which acts as a backup.
    — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of repressing

Browse Nearby Words

silences
silencing
silent
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Cite this Entry

“Silencing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silencing. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of silencing for Spanish Speakers

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