Collocations for "silence"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "silence" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
silence
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.n
- a [stunned, confusing, fearful] silence
- an eerie silence in the [street, room, hall]
- [caused, there was] an awkward silence in the conversation
- the silence of [deep space, the countryside]
- held a minute's silence to [remember, pay homage to] the [victims, dead]
- can we have a moment of silence for...?
- a minute's silence in [remembrance, homage]
- fell into (a) [sudden, deep, total] silence
- the [classroom, crowd, office] fell into [sudden] silence
- a [sudden] silence [came, fell] over the [classroom]
- could hear a pin drop in the silence
- the silence was [broken, interrupted] [by, when]
- silence [followed, ensued, reigned]
- can't get a minute's silence from the [kids, children]
- asked the [class, students, audience] for (total) silence
- need a [bit, minute, moment] of silence
- need silence to [concentrate, focus] on
- need silence in order to [read, correct, explain, concentrate]
- the news was [greeted, met] with silence
- governmental silence on the [allegations, decision, comments]
- to [guarantee, ensure] her silence
- back [again, on the scene] after years of silence
- silenced [his critics, the crowd, her, the class]
- silenced [the critics] with his [performance, win, actions]
- his [actions] silenced the [critics]
- the teacher silenced the [class, students, room]
- silence the [class] with a [stare, stern look, shout]
- silence (our) [opinions, objections]
- our [objections] were silenced
- silence enemy [fire, guns, gunfire]
'silence' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
absolute
- awkward
- betrayal
- blissful
- bow
- break
- classroom
- command
- deadly
- deploy
- drug
- eerie
- ensure
- eternity
- follow
- four
- fraught
- hush
- incoming
- interrupt
- minute
- moment
- moody
- part
- piercing
- pledge
- pregnant
- read
- rebel
- rebellious
- relapse
- respectful
- shocked
- smoke
- sound
- spawn
- speaker
- stunned
- suffer
- sullen
- trail
- uproar
- wall
- watch
- weep
- witness