English Reference
Idiom idiom

pact of silence


A tacit agreement not to discuss a certain topic

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The friends made a pact of silence about the broken window.

CONTEXTUAL

After the accident, the witnesses formed a pact of silence to protect their friend from the police.

COMPLEX

The conspirators maintained a strict pact of silence, ensuring that the details of their illicit arrangement never reached the public ear.


Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    blue wall of silence

    Strict secretiveness maintained by the members of a police force with respect to information which might be contrary to their interests, especially information concerning questionable police actions.

  2. 02

    dead silence

    A particularly notable/awkward silence or absence of response.

  3. 03

    deafening silence

    A noteworthy silence, or absence of response, especially one signifying disapproval or lack of enthusiasm.

  4. 04

    sex pact

    An agreement about having sex with a particular frequency, or in a particular way regardless of circumstances.

  5. 05

    speech is silver, silence is golden

    Not saying anything is often better than speaking too much or saying something inappropriate.

  6. 06

    suffer in silence

    To tolerate a bad situation without complaining.

  7. 07

    wall of silence

    Strict secretiveness maintained by the members of a group with respect to information which might be contrary to their interests, especially information concerning questionable actions by members of the group.

Last updated August 10, 2026