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.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The team met a wall of silence when they asked about the missing money.”
“Despite the police investigation into the accident, the witnesses maintained a wall of silence to protect their friend.”
“The internal inquiry into the company's financial misconduct quickly stalled as executives erected a wall of silence to prevent any incriminating information from reaching the public.”
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back to the wall
A very difficult situation with no beneficial options available for action.
- 02
balls to the wall
With maximum effort or commitment.
- 03
bang one's head against a brick wall
To waste effort on a futile project.
- 04
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.
- 05
bounce off the walls
To be overly active relative to the enclosed space in which one is.
- 06
break the fourth wall
To apparently communicate with reality directly, such as when characters of literature comment on the existence of a reader.
- 07
Chinese Wall
An information barrier within an organization, designed to ensure internal confidentiality; frequently used to prevent conflicts of interest.
- 08
climb the walls
To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to exhibit great agitation.
Last updated August 10, 2026