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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Keep quiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20quiet. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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