1
as in stopped
to bring (something) to a standstill
it seemed as though nothing could still the fighting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in calmed
to free from distress or disturbance
reading a book helps me to relax and still my mind before going to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stilled
Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Hostilities were temporarily stilled by a ceasefire, but fighting resumed in early December.
—John Vink, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Suddenly, the noise in their home stilled.
—Ryan Oehrli
updated February 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Jesus stilled storms, walked on water, challenged evil beliefs, and brought health, harmony, and safety to the world.
—Pam Debolt, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2025
After two years, the brutal war that started with Hamas' seizure of hostages and led to Israel's bombardment of Gaza was stilled.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The service lasted more than five hours, but the moment that stilled the crowd came when his widow, Erika, spoke of her husband’s killer in the language of absolution.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
An intense defensive matchup in the boys' semifinals round ended in another sudden-death round that stilled the entire crowd while sending LA's Terron Williams to the finals.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
My limbs stilled and grew heavy in the heat, but Alice jiggled her knees up and down, bursting out with short spurts of conversation that weighed against the beauty of our silence.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Hostilities were temporarily stilled by a ceasefire, but fighting resumed in early December.
—John Vink, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Suddenly, the noise in their home stilled.
—Ryan Oehrli
updated February 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Jesus stilled storms, walked on water, challenged evil beliefs, and brought health, harmony, and safety to the world.
—Pam Debolt, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2025
After two years, the brutal war that started with Hamas' seizure of hostages and led to Israel's bombardment of Gaza was stilled.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The service lasted more than five hours, but the moment that stilled the crowd came when his widow, Erika, spoke of her husband’s killer in the language of absolution.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
An intense defensive matchup in the boys' semifinals round ended in another sudden-death round that stilled the entire crowd while sending LA's Terron Williams to the finals.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stilled
Adjective
-
For the next hour, pages turned until silent reading time made way for more conversation.—
Sneha Dhandapani,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
Many people wait until ideas feel perfectly polished before contributing, which often leads them to remain silent too long.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The catcher was hitless in his previous 30 at-bats before connecting for his first homer this season Saturday night, a two-run shot in the seventh inning of a 3-2 win that stopped San Diego's six-game losing streak.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
In Pixar’s Cars, the Cozy Cone Motel was inspired by the Blue Swallow Motel, and Bob Dylan even stopped to paint it around 2019.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Finding the police at our place, then, wasn’t really a surprise, and my pulse returned to its usual rhythm, oddly calmed by the fact that the dread had finally left my heart.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
Investors took the dilution, estimated at 1% to 3% depending on the final terms of convertible preferred stock, in stride, presumably calmed by the presence of Berkshire Hathaway as anchor investor.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The Giants offense got shushed Wednesday night by Shohei Ohtani, and their hitters went down almost as quietly against right-hander Emmet Sheehan.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
To the point where Reid shushed him down at times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The detonation of the bombs brought a terrible wonder, a soundless blast of light and colors never seen before, and never seen again.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
For the first time, that practice has been halted in 2026.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Shipping traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz has effectively halted since the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, 2026.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
In your arms, your baby begins to cry and cry and will not be soothed.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
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Hall remembers being at a homegoing service for a youth lost to gun violence – witnessing a room filled with hurt, chaos, young people all over the place, Spencer came in like Casper, the Friendly Ghost – soothed the family and changed the temperature in the room without grabbing the mic.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Since then authorities have increasingly silenced dissent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
Simley falls The Spartans’ usually potent offense was silenced by freshman phenom Caliegh Barrone in Simley’s 5-0 quarterfinal defeat.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stilled. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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