silenced 1 of 2

adjective

as in suppressed

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silenced

2 of 2

verb

past tense of silence
1
as in shushed
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quelled
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force brutally silenced all political dissent in the country

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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 silenced
Adjective
When monitoring wanes and enforcement fades, workers pay the price first in wages and safety, then in silenced voices and must choose between an empty stomach and their rights. — Tharo Khun, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
In these difficult and incendiary times, perspectives such as Poe’s are often silenced and forced to remain in the shadows. — Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 Pure catharsis that exiles can dedicate in the name of those silenced on the island. — Sarah Moreno august 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 People named Mitch Bratt and Caleb Ferguson have silenced them in recent days. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Morgan silenced the critics and played into her heel persona—one that wants to hold the title for 1,000 days—with a strong victory over Iyo Sky. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 When the team silenced these neurons, the flies got lost entirely, wandering upwind with no idea how to get back. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026 The two newspapers were briefly silenced by the White House, which persuaded the courts to order them to cease releasing the documents, and then were vindicated when the Supreme Court barred the government from restraining publication. — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 Normal mice were drawn to the scents—but not mice whose granule cells had been silenced by optical fibers that the researchers implanted in the animals’ brains to switch these cells on and off. — Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 29 July 2026 Your phone could be in a pocket, buried in a bag or silenced during work. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silenced
  1. suppressed
  2. shushed
  3. quelled
  4. stifled
  5. quieted
  6. subdued
  7. repressed
  8. muted
Adjective
  • General Manager Ken Holland hinted at potentially being done after trading center Phillip Danault for a draft pick in December and acquiring Panarin at a suppressed price in February, though he has been known to under-promise often and, sometimes, over-deliver.
    — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Supervising sound editor Alastair Sirkett told IndieWire that Peter Claffey’s big, former-rugby-player frame really helps that moment sing with suppressed panic.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of suppressed
Verb
  • As the moment unfolded, Savannah shushed the future king and even briefly placed her hand over his mouth in an effort to keep him composed.
    — Staff Author, InStyle, 13 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of shushed
Verb
  • Coach Regis Le Bris appears to have quelled that for this summer, citing a lack of other striking options beyond Brian Brobbey in a season where his side have European football to contend with on top of domestic matters.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Reading it immediately quells, or at least quelled my own, paranoia at being alone in the middle of the forest—nobody is getting got here, there’s a gate that only opens if the concierge approves of your face, voice, and name.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of quelled
Adjective
  • Literature, in his view, was a susurrus of stifled screams, a missive from the netherworld of the collective imaginary.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of stifled
Verb
  • None of this has quieted the hype, or the revisionist history.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As the bartender quieted whatever terrible hair-metal mixtape had been playing over the house PA, and the lights glowed red on the stage, Ryan was trying to create the illusion of a behind-the-curtain, big-stage, rock star entrance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of quieted
Verb
  • Energy supply disruptions remain a key market concern, with tanker traffic through the strait still subdued, said Lloyd Chan, senior currency analyst at MUFG Bank in Singapore, noting that Brent prices remain way above above pre-conflict levels.
    — Chloe Taylor,Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Bright colors during action sequences and conversations look vibrant, while backgrounds rendered in a more watercolor-style are properly subdued without seeming dull.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of subdued
Adjective
  • Maybe a repressed emotion or unresolved ending still haunts you.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Nordic noir suggests the presence of violence and hatred beneath the tranquillity and order of the Scandinavian welfare state, just as Southern noir peels back hospitality and charm to reveal repressed family secrets and moral decay.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of repressed
Verb
  • As the plot narrows into a search for a Manhunter, a murderous species whose vaunted ability to blend in is somewhat muted by every other alien having the same ability, each Lantern gets assigned a love interest.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • When Robert offers to help, Thom’s expression is curiously muted.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of muted

Browse Nearby Words

silence
silenced
silences
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Cite this Entry

“Silenced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silenced. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of silenced for Spanish Speakers

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