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maintain silence

[meɪnˈteɪn ˈsaɪləns]
verb phrase
manter silêncio
1. to continue to remain silent; to refrain from speaking
The witness decided to maintain silence during the interrogation.
A testemunha decidiu manter silêncio durante o interrogatório.
2. to keep or preserve a state of quietness or secrecy
He chose to maintain silence about the incident.
Ele escolheu manter silêncio sobre o incidente.
NYC Slang
stay mum
Synonyms
keep silentstay quiethold one's tongueremain silentsay nothing
Antonyms
speak upbreak silencetalkexpress oneselfvoice an opinion

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
manter silêncio
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
manter silêncio
standard usage
São Paulo
manter silêncio
standard usage
Portugal
manter silêncio
standard usage in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

maintain a dignified silence
maintain silence on a matter
the right to maintain silence
golden silence
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