1
as in stillness
incapacity for or restraint from speaking
the violinist expects complete silence from the audience during his concerts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quiet
the near or complete absence of sound
the silence of the garden was refreshing after the din of the party inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscurity
the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown
the book eventually vanished into the silence that awaits best sellers whose time has past
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to quiet
to stop the noise or speech of
the instructor quickly silenced anyone who tried to interrupt we need to have a repairman come and silence that door alarm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
brutally silenced all political dissent in the country
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 silence
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Families have seen how silence can lead to misinterpretation, resentment among siblings or prolonged disputes.
—Bruce Helmer, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2026
Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2026
So the latest addition to JBL’s PartyBox Bluetooth speaker line, the On-the-Go 2 Plus, comes with one of the company’s new EasySing wireless microphones, which use an algorithm to silence a song’s vocals while also helping a karaoke singer stay on pitch and hit more challenging high notes.
—Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silence
Noun
The silence stretched into December 2017, and Epstein shifted tactics.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Families have seen how silence can lead to misinterpretation, resentment among siblings or prolonged disputes.
—Bruce Helmer, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
This approach, while perhaps well-meaning, can silence students, curtail their growth and rob them of learning opportunities.
—Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2026
So the latest addition to JBL’s PartyBox Bluetooth speaker line, the On-the-Go 2 Plus, comes with one of the company’s new EasySing wireless microphones, which use an algorithm to silence a song’s vocals while also helping a karaoke singer stay on pitch and hit more challenging high notes.
—Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silence
Noun
-
Protect your peace so wisdom arrives in stillness.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Tokyo outpost, which opened in November 2025 inside the Hulic Ginza Building, takes the brand's signature stillness and drops it into one of the most electric neighborhoods in the country.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The quiet of Vis to fancy evenings on Hvar.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The books were gone, and the studious quiet that once filled the space had turned into a heavy silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But Chiat/Day considered their obscurity a feature, not a bug.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But high-ranking officials have offered statements dripping with obscurity.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bondi wants to suppress, or at least stall, state Bar investigations against them.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Which stories persist, which fade and which are actively suppressed are decisions increasingly made by private companies rather than public institutions.—
Arnaud Kurze,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This one strikes a mid-century chord with its wide face and retro time display, with an atomic dial and silent-sweep movement to maximize quietness.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Mar. 2026
-
There, many of Cale’s pet fascinations, like the precariousness of memory and the lacuna between yourself and other people, opened themselves up with a lovely quietness.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The game was considered a bubble elimination contest, meaning the loser had their already fading hopes of an at-large NCAA berth slip into oblivion with no more chances to play.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
All of this culminates in a stunning sequence set in a rundown hospital, where the majority of the ensemble returns, and is forced into further moral dilemmas under the threat of oblivion, in a race-against-the-clock finale shot in enrapturing long takes.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silence. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
