shush

verb

ˈshəsh How to pronounce shush (audio)
Definition of shushnext
as in to silence
to stop the noise or speech of shushed the crying baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shush Trae Young won Madison Square Garden’s undying enmity in the 2021 playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks, punctuating game-breaking shots by shushing the crowd or bowing to the fans and waving goodbye. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 9 June 2026 The chatter caused the emcees to not-so-playfully shush the crowd several times. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 6 June 2026 Wine country with kids in tow doesn’t have to mean a stressful afternoon of shushing and screen time. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026 Turning to shush it, Adele saw Dean with his tongue in her mother’s mouth and his hand up under her minidress. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shush
  1. silence
  2. hush
  3. mute
  4. quiet
  5. settle
  6. dumb
Verb
  • Jasper, in Chicago, understands the risk of silencing those hunger cues.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The event silenced critics who doubted the practicality of using ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel at sea.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of silence
Verb
  • The lounge is a real scene, especially during afternoon tea, when a perfectly coiffed crowd has hushed discussions about worldly matters.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The park has already taken some steps to hush their new attraction.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hush
Verb
  • Shot on England’s coasts and countryside, the film favors muted costumes, no makeup and quiet, lingering scenes, presenting Austen’s young women as emotionally immediate and recognizably modern.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Looming in the medium-term future is the team’s punishment, which could run from dramatic to muted.
    — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of mute
Verb
  • It’s been a tumultuous journey but coming to Atlanta this season has been the perfect move for the three-time All-Star, whose accomplishments this year have quieted many of her critics.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And while those stories will live on forever, DeBoer is still working to quiet the noise that comes with every decision made regarding his football team.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of quiet
Verb
  • On the industry side, Serielizados Pro has settled into its identity as a boutique forum.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Composed of the Hernández brothers (Jorge, Hernán, Eduardo and Luis) and cousin Óscar Lara, Los Tigres Del Norte was founded in the late 1960s in the Sinaloan town of Rosa Morada and settled in San José.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of settle
Verb
  • Not the characterization that makes people do dumb things when the story needs to force a plot point.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Get your humanness out on the page before the robots dumb your content down.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Definition of dumb

Browse Nearby Words

shunts
shush
shushed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shush. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All