hush up

phr.v. to hide information or stop people from talking about something bad, like a scandal or a mistake.

phr.v. to suppress information or prevent a potentially scandalous fact from becoming public knowledge. Transitive and often used in contexts involving legal or political cover-ups.

“The company tried to hush up the news about the faulty products before the holiday season.”

“The administration attempted to hush up the internal memo, fearing that its release would trigger a public relations disaster right before the election.”

Informal

phr.v. to stop talking or making noise.

phr.v. to become silent or to cause someone else to be quiet. Intransitive or transitive depending on whether the subject or object is being silenced.

“The teacher told the students to hush up so the movie could start.”

“As the conductor raised his baton, the audience hushed up in anticipation of the opening notes.”

Informal