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Glite Dictionary
😶 To smother 🤫 To suppress quietly
to burke

to burke

9.9
To quietly stop something from being talked about
  • verb
  • /bɜrk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : encubrir
  • The committee decided to burke the report to avoid public controversy.

Examples

  • Some managers attempt to burke complaints rather than address them directly.

  • It was clear that they tried to burke the issue during the meeting.

  • Don't burke the issue!

  • The committee decided to burke the controversial report.

  • Some managers attempt to burke complaints rather than address them directly.

  • The committee decided to burke the report to avoid public controversy.

  • It was clear that they tried to burke the issue during the meeting.

Synonyms

to hide
vsto burke
∞ 1.0

To keep something so others cannot see or understand it

aims to stop or remove things quietly rather than only keeping them out of sight
to suppress
vsto burke
176 4.8

To stop public protest by force or by people in power

does the same quietly and indirectly to avoid attention rather than using force
to silence
vsto burke
169 3.5

To stop someone from speaking or making noise

uses indirect removal or concealment to end matters instead of direct force
to keep quiet
vsto burke
90 2.5

To say nothing or not tell a secret

acts to remove or conceal matters through action rather than relying on people not speaking
to hush
vsto burke
33 3.4

Make a person or thing quiet so others stop making noise

prefers removal by quiet indirect means aimed at avoiding attention
to keep mum
vsto burke
  • Informal
3 7.5

Stay quiet about something private

takes steps to remove or conceal issues rather than only asking people not to speak
to hush up
vsto burke
  • Informal
2 5.0

Make someone stop talking and be quiet

uses indirect removal or concealment rather than direct forced stopping of speakers
burked
vsto burke
  • Archaic
9.9

Quietly stops something from being said or done

is the same meaning but appears as the base verb form rather than past
to push under the carpet
vsto burke
  • UK
7.3

To ignore or hide problems instead of dealing with them

focuses on quietly removing or stopping matters rather than just hiding problems

Antonyms

to discuss
∞ 1.6

To talk with other people about something, often in detail

to reveal
∞ 2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

How Suppressed

to quash
  • Formal
8 8.1
to burke
  • Archaic
9.9
to silence
169 3.5
to ignore
∞ 1.0
to downplay
59 5.3
to mention
∞ 1.0
to discuss
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

burke infinitive
burked past
burked past participle
burking present participle
burkes third person singular

Etymology

Burke also came to mean quietly stopping or hiding something. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the murderer who 'silenced' victims without noise, so to burke a report is to 'suppress' it so no one talks about it.