keep quiet

idiom

: to not say anything or make any noise

He thought about telling the police what he knew, but he decided to keep quiet.

Please keep quiet during the movie.

: to not say anything about (something)

She kept her plans quiet.

: to prevent (someone or something) from making noise

She gave the dog a bone to keep him quiet.

: to prevent (someone) from revealing information about something

They paid money to the witness to keep him quiet.

Examples of keep quiet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, my grandparents taught me to keep quiet. —

Aquilino Gonell, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025 His father convinced church leaders to keep quiet and promised Alger would never work in the clergy again. —

Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2025 Some have aired their worries publicly, but the danger to their careers is real, and so most keep quiet. —

Scott Kennedy, Foreign Affairs, 26 Nov. 2024 Rather than report the accident, Vicki and her sisters decide to hide the body and keep quiet. —

Steven Thrash, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for keep quiet