American Dictionary

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Definition silence in American English

silence verb

[transitive] verb
/ˈsaɪləns/
1

to stop someone or something from speaking or making a sound

Example

He silenced her with an angry look.

Example

They were completely silenced by the news.

Example

After about twenty minutes, someone managed to silence the alarm.

Synonyms and related words
2

to prevent someone from giving an opinion or from criticizing you

Example

Efforts to silence opposition have so far been unsuccessful.

Synonyms and related words
3

to kill someone so that they cannot give information to an enemy or someone in authority

Example

Police suspect the missing witness has been silenced by the mob.

Synonyms and related words
Definition silence in American English