conspiracy of silence

American  

noun

1. a usually secret or unstated agreement to remain silent among those who know something whose disclosure might be damaging, harmful, or against their own best interest or that of their associates.

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conspiracy of silence Idioms  

1. A tacit or explicit agreement to keep something secret. For example, In this state's medical society there is a conspiracy of silence regarding incompetent practitioners. This term was first used as a complaint about lack of attention, but today it more often refers to remaining silent about something unfavorable or criminal. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of conspiracy of silence

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

An influential think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, points to what it calls a "conspiracy of silence" about the tough decisions required after the election.

From BBC

That the mother is effectively silenced could be a way for her daughter to exact poetic revenge, by silencing the person who wove a conspiracy of silence around her husband’s crimes.

From New York Times

Victims’ descendants believed that, once the conspiracy of silence around it was pierced decades later, justice and reparations for Tulsa’s Black community would follow.

From Seattle Times

“I knew that I did not want to be another link in a conspiracy of silence,” Ms. Strom wrote.

From Washington Post

You might even call it a conspiracy of silence.

From Washington Post