all quiet on the Western Front
- idiom
- Literature
- Following the heated argument, things settled down and it was all quiet on the Western Front.
Examples
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After a hectic morning, it was all quiet on the Western Front in the office.
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After the storm passed, it was all quiet on the Western Front.
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The negotiations stalled, so for now, it's all quiet on the Western Front.
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It's all quiet on the Western Front this evening.
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After a hectic morning, it was all quiet on the Western Front in the office.
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Following the heated argument, things settled down and it was all quiet on the Western Front.
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The negotiations stalled, so for now, it's all quiet on the Western Front.
Synonyms
Not making any sound
A calm time with little or no sound
A calm time or place with little noise
A time when nothing unusual or exciting happens
Very quiet so no one notices you
Completely quiet with no sound at all
Antonyms
How Active
Surface Forms
Morphology
all + quiet + on + the + western + front
The phrase is largely built from transparent pieces—'all quiet' (everything calm) + 'on the Western Front' (at the battle line)—so a learner who knows the words can infer a meaning like 'nothing significant is happening'. However, the expression is a historical/cultural reference (from wartime reporting) and is often used metaphorically in broader contexts, so some nuance and idiomatic extension may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
All quiet on the Western Front comes from a famous World War I book and from army reports that said the 'Western Front' was quiet after fighting, with no guns and no movement. That picture of a busy battle line suddenly very still is why the phrase now means 'nothing important or unusual is happening'.