stilled 1 of 2

stilled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of still
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2
3
as in shushed
to stop the noise or speech of the conversation was abruptly stilled by a loud crash from the next room

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 stilled
Verb
Rebecca’s hands stilled, and the girl stared at her grandmother, wide-eyed. — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 Both the Moody Mansion and the 1892 Bishop’s Palace are museums stilled in time and filled with the marks of late 19th-century splendor. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 July 2026 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 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
  • Star winger Lionel Messi, the MLS leader in assists and goals, was rather silent against Cincinnati, finishing with zero shots on target and a yellow card.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
  • There’s also a traveling circus, a silent film theater, The Speakeasy and a look inside the Dundee Daily News.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said Friday afternoon that all four Moscow airports -- Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky -- stopped flights arriving and departing for security reasons.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • If only the Hornets could have stopped the game after one possession apiece.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • After police cordoned off an area in the city center, the situation calmed down by early Sunday morning.
    — Angela Charlton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Longhorns calmed the waters in Austin with their win over Mississippi and won’t slip up against a spiraling Bulldogs team that lost QB Kamario Taylor for the season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Mitchell shushed those who’d forgotten to mute and introduced John Solomon, an ally of hers who was helping prepare the speech.
    — Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 28 Oct. 2026
  • They were repeatedly shushed instead as the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) fell to 13-10 in their marquee event after failing to keep pace with a USC offense that averaged nearly eight yards per play through the first three quarters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • By day, lots of people cross the bridge to visit the hotel’s neighbor, the Moderna Museet, but at night the island is virtually soundless.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • 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
  • In particular, Steven Tyler gave no evidence of the vocal injury that halted the abortive 2023 tour.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Virgin Galactic halted commercial flights of its previous vehicle, VSS Unity, in 2024.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The s and z sounds of cedar scent, soothed, breeze, petals, pads, crossed, shore, and small create a peaceful line of sound that mimics the smooth flow of a river.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • History was repeating, ancient bonds once damaged in war, silenced, and soothed in the quiet moments after.
    — Nicky Robertson, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But the energy shock caused by the Iran war has silenced the debate.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Independent journalists have been silenced or forced into exile.
    — Lynn Northcutt Vega, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stilled. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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