quiet (down)

as in to hush
to stop talking the kids quieted down when they realized I was about to ask them if they wanted ice cream

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quiet (down)
Verb
  • The magazine saw itself as literary but not self-serious; if the stereotypical National Geographic story was a walk through the jungle recounted in hushed, awed tones, its Outside equivalent was a little dustier, wilder, and less reverent.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
  • In his nearly 30-minute remarks, the 82-year-old often sounded hushed, with several distinct outbursts in defense of Social Security and its recipients.
    Isabella Murray, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The problem started with the pandemic; although road traffic dried up, the death rate leapt by 20 percent.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025
  • This can be risky because if that source dries up, the business could struggle.
    Adam Fineberg, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
    Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
  • While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
    Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The love that once dared not speak its name now can’t shut up.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2025
  • It is put up or shut up time for the UCLA men’s basketball team.
    Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Yes and became yes and no, much like a musical conductor tells the strings and woodwinds to play louder and the brass to pipe down.
    Michael Alcée, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The freshwater was coming from a sewage-treatment pipe down below.
    Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Quiet (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quiet%20%28down%29. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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