dead air

noun

: a period of silence especially during a broadcast

Examples of dead air in a Sentence

After the commercial, there were a few seconds of dead air before the show continued.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The scene direction and pacing also impressed me, with none of that awkward dead air that pops up all too often in gacha games. — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026 The launch included first-day jitters that frankly surprised me — dead air due to late-starting commercials being the most common. — Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 25 May 2026 Instead, too many filmmakers took the crowd’s attention span for granted; even the strongest films in competition could delete a half-hour of dead air. — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026 Refn has made characters moving and speaking in a benzodiazepine fugue state — lines hissed out stiltedly into dead air, spoken like throwing stones down a well — his signature in recent films. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dead air

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead air was in 1921

Rhymes for dead air

See All Rhymes for dead air

Browse Nearby Words

dead ahead
dead air
dead-air space
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dead air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20air. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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