as in silence
incapacity for or restraint from speaking
the speechlessness of our cat never seemed so frustrating as the time that it was seriously sick
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Recent Examples of speechlessness
Both men regularly bash Trump during their monologues, but the president’s tirade against the Pope left them puzzled to the point of near-speechlessness.
—
Zack Sharf, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Zack Sharf, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speechlessness
silence
Noun
-
Wrestlers had always operated under a code of silence, known as kayfabe, that forbade acknowledging that the entire thing was scripted.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The others include a teenage star of video games; a young woman awaiting a heart transplant; a priest with a vow of silence; a guard with a grudge against the bank; a fake receptionist; and Ernest’s fiancé, Juliette.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speechlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speechlessness. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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