dead air
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of dead air
First recorded in 1940–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It seeks to deliver a brisk 30-minute recap of the day’s headlines without any halting clauses, dropped prepositions, or dead air.
From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026
"Even when there's a few moments of dead air here, people think, 'What's wrong?" laughs Ms Hagen.
From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025
The entire commentary shines with a very knowledgeable director explaining his craft and his motivations with only a few areas of dead air.
From Washington Times • Jul. 27, 2023
He started talking about fishing, his daughter, and how his grandkids were doing—anything to fill the otherwise dead air.
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2023
In the last breath before dead air, I tell Ty the truth.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
