Meaning & use
radio silent
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparableinformal
Not communicating with anyone, especially when people expect you to keep in touch.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, go, stay, or keep: 'She stayed radio silent for a week.'
Patterns
- be radio silent
- go radio silent
- stay radio silent
- keep radio silent on something
The company went radio silent after the announcement, and customers started to worry.
He was radio silent all weekend, so I assumed his phone was broken.
The agency stayed radio silent on the rumor for three days.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A period of giving no replies, updates, or public statements.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase, often after go into or after a period of: 'a long radio silence.'
Patterns
- go into radio silence
- break radio silence
- a period of radio silence
After the scandal, the team went into radio silence for a month.
The coach finally broke radio silence and spoke to reporters.
Their radio silence on the issue made everyone suspicious.
Common combinations
- go radio silent
- The startup went radio silent right before the launch.
- stay radio silent
- Please don't stay radio silent if you need help.
- remain radio silent
- The ministry remained radio silent about the new rules.
- radio silent on something
- The singer has been radio silent on the breakup.
- break radio silence
- The director broke radio silence with a short statement.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unresponsive
- More neutral and formal; it describes a lack of reaction generally, not specifically a failure to communicate.
- out of touch
- Suggests you cannot be reached, often for ordinary reasons, while radio silent suggests a deliberate or noticeable silence.
- incommunicado
- Stronger and more formal, often used about people held by authorities; radio silent is lighter and more everyday.
Opposites
Word family
- radio silence noun
- The noun form: a period of no communication.
Commonly confused: radio silent or silent?
radio silent vs silent
Silent means making no sound; radio silent specifically means not communicating, even if you are active or online.
Practice
The team ___ radio silent for two weeks after the product failed.
Choose one answer.
'Went radio silent' is the fixed expression for stopping communication. 'Made' and 'did' do not combine with this phrase, and 'took radio silent' is not English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “radio silent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.