conspiracy of silence
Agreed-upon secrecy
A conspiracy of silence is an unspoken agreement among a group to say nothing about a particular matter—usually something embarrassing, incriminating, or controversial.
The "conspiracy" is typically tacit rather than explicitly coordinated: The family maintained a conspiracy of silence about Uncle Frank's time in prison.
The phrase often implies complicity through inaction.
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
- behind closed doorsIn private, unobserved
- keep quietRemain silent
swept under the rug · complicity · suppression · gag order · censorship · collusion · pact · hidden agenda · non-disclosure · corruption · dishonesty · unspoken agreement · open secret · look the other way · turning a blind eye · confederacy · hush · whistleblower
conspiracy of silencepublic disclosure
Revealing information openly
transparency · full disclosure · open dialogue · candor · public debate
conspiracy of silencetruth commission
Panel investigating past atrocities
exposé · investigative journalism · accountability · freedom of information · public hearing
conspiracy of silencewhistleblowing
Exposing hidden wrongdoing internally
public disclosure · exposé · revelation · full transparency · tell-all
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