1
as in silent
deliberately refraining from speech
he stood wordless before his accusers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unspoken
understood although not put into words
a wordless fondness for each other
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 wordless
When the first hook comes back around after Earl’s slinky verse, Niontay’s staccato punchlines lose all shape and melt into a putty of wordless, gurgling melody.
—
Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
There may be fewer scenes in the Causeway oeuvre more chilling than a wordless opening when Kori (Emily Browning) gives a contemptuous once-over to the pile of greasy food in front of her at a pub while her boyfriend Nick (Jai Courtney) is fetching some pints.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
As the setup cycles through cinematic tropes and makes its way to a predictable catfight over who’s the true domestic goddess, Banks is terrific at communicating Carol’s wordless rage, her workplace competitiveness having shifted to the home front.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
The ten-minute video makes visible the repetitive labor of slow, wordless coiling.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wordless
Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
There may be fewer scenes in the Causeway oeuvre more chilling than a wordless opening when Kori (Emily Browning) gives a contemptuous once-over to the pile of greasy food in front of her at a pub while her boyfriend Nick (Jai Courtney) is fetching some pints.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
As the setup cycles through cinematic tropes and makes its way to a predictable catfight over who’s the true domestic goddess, Banks is terrific at communicating Carol’s wordless rage, her workplace competitiveness having shifted to the home front.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
The ten-minute video makes visible the repetitive labor of slow, wordless coiling.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wordless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wordless
Adjective
-
Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
My cancer was so silent that two gynecologists hadn’t considered it as a possible diagnosis, and at least one radiologist had entirely missed my tumor—as wide as a peach and as long as my hand.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Its wearer was the tech entrepreneur Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo (trickle-down evidence of the gala’s unspoken Silicon Valley subtheme).—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The two have since built an unspoken connection, each knowing when the other is feeling especially bogged down by the conflict.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
Adjective
-
During the trial, to prove implied malice, prosecutors presented evidence of Grossman’s history of speeding.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The first one is passive—where decisions get delayed, expectations are murky, implied and unspoken.—
Susan Parsons,
Forbes.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That strong start ended against the Rangers, as Cabrera (3-1) allowed five runs on seven hits over five innings in his worst outing of the season, and the Cubs offense was on mute.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Three recent preprint papers that arrived within weeks of one another probe the possibility that dark matter is not a mute backdrop but an active participant in cosmic physics.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
Moreover, the brand’s growth in Europe, Middle East and Africa was impacted by muted consumer sentiment in Europe due to both higher energy costs and inflation and because the conflict impacted the brand’s ability to ship into the Middle East.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wordless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wordless. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
