keep quiet

idiom

1
: 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.
2
: to not say anything about (something)
She kept her plans quiet.
3
: to prevent (someone or something) from making noise
She gave the dog a bone to keep him quiet.
4
: 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.
Well, all Scottish people need to keep quiet, clearly. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Three decades ago, Harrison didn’t even tell his own mother something eminently important, all because he had been asked to keep quiet. C. Clark, M. Vorkunov and F. Katz, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025 So Trump, tactically, should keep quiet on the judges keep quiet. ABC News, 23 Mar. 2025 Or are there secret talks happening that Trump cannot keep quiet? Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for keep quiet

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Cite this Entry

“Keep quiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20quiet. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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