stillness · hush · wordless · tongue-tied · mute · stopped · froze · breath · tension · awkward · pause · listening · waited · shock · stunned · breathless · whisper · room
IDEA.org / Words / fell silent
Related — hushed (Reduced to silence); quiet (Lacking in sound); muted (Made quieter or softer); speechless · paused · stillness · hush · wordless · tongue-tied · mute · stopped · froze · breath
cessation vs. initiation of sound/speechfell silent ≠ spoke up Expressed oneself aloud; burst out · piped up · cried out · chimed in · erupted
withdrawal vs. assertion of presencefell silent ≠ asserted oneself Claimed one's ground; stood up · made a scene · held forth · emerged
volume/intensity transitionfell silent ≠ erupted Burst out violently; burst out · exploded · roared · let loose
Word data: Linguabase (CC0) · www.idea.org/words/fell_silent