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
-
In its megacities and beyond, traffic is increasingly falling silent, the dull whir of the electric motor replacing the purr of an internal combustion engine.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
This is where Audible will host events nearly every day this month, including author conversations, trivia, open mics, craft workshops and silent book clubs.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
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But Crenshaw’s own essay, on the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew, stopped short of calling for censorship.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Yet the eye-rolling has stopped.—
Natalie Sum Yue Chung,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The lake had calmed and there was only a slight breeze.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Defense lawyer John Cantrell said Ashley accused him of cheating, but the situation had calmed down.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To the point where Reid shushed him down at times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Lyonne shushed the staffer, got up and headed to the bathroom, according to Page Six.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
9 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
-
More commonly, prescribed burning is halted because Forest Service staff are occupied fighting wildfires.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
4 May 2026
-
But while a subsequent ceasefire has largely halted fighting in Iran, Washington and Tehran remain unable to agree to a more secure peace.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The brand mentions that the sheets are infused with ingredients like hyaluronic acid to leave your skin feeling dewy and soothed, and Harrison can confidently say this is true.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The tap-tap-tap hammering up and down my spine and around my shoulder blades actually soothed me nearly to sleep.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After Gage Goncalves’s goal nearly 70 minutes into a scoreless game Friday silenced the most raucous crown in hockey, the Lightning reveled in a season-defining moment but realized the bigger task was two nights ahead of them.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh is one haunting reminder of what happens when their voices are silenced.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stilled. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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