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
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Recent Examples of silencing
But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
On Sunday, Alnylam, the gene-silencing company that notched one gigantic accomplishment after another over the past five years, set out a plan for the next five years built on yet more innovation and growth.
—Matthew Herper, STAT, 11 Jan. 2026
Asked Friday if his remarkably consistent performance on a defense that at times ran hot-cold around him was his way of silencing his critics, Heyward shrugged.
—CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
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
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
On Sunday, Alnylam, the gene-silencing company that notched one gigantic accomplishment after another over the past five years, set out a plan for the next five years built on yet more innovation and growth.
—Matthew Herper, STAT, 11 Jan. 2026
Asked Friday if his remarkably consistent performance on a defense that at times ran hot-cold around him was his way of silencing his critics, Heyward shrugged.
—CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silencing
Verb
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Kempe then put a gloved finger to his lips, shushing the sixth consecutive sellout crowd in Anaheim.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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The reduction in volatiles would limit volcanism by suppressing the formation of magma, providing a strong explanation for why the lunar far side contains so few maria.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Different weight loss methods Wave is taking a different approach to weight loss, targeting how the body burns fat rather than suppressing appetite.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ball made eight of his nine 3-pointers after halftime, gleefully celebrating each one while quieting the crowd in his hometown.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
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The books also model subtler tactics for quieting the fawner’s social impulses.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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 two-year war that followed had a muting effect on deals between Israel and the UAE, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza created a PR catastrophe for Israelis in the Gulf.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
19 Jan. 2026
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For much of the past year, neither side was willing to budge much from their respective stance, effectively muting any chance of a settlement.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
1 Dec. 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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His name has been associated with police operations carried out in the context of protests, detentions, and crowd-control actions executed by the PNB, a force that since its creation has played a central role in repressing political dissent.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
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Despite these differences, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is resorting to a familiar playbook for repressing protests, blending a passing acknowledgement of his system’s shortcomings with maximum deflection and defiance.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silencing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silencing. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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