bâillonner

Senses

1. 1.

   to gag

   to put a gag in someone's mouth, or to prevent someone from speaking

2. 2.

   to silence; to muffle

   to suppress or restrain someone's freedom of expression or voice

Examples

• "Les prisonniers ont été bâillonnés pour les empêcher de crier."

  The prisoners were gagged to prevent them from screaming.

• "La dictature tentait de bâillonner la presse indépendante."

  The dictatorship tried to silence the independent press.

• "On ne peut pas bâillonner la vérité indéfiniment."

  You cannot suppress the truth indefinitely.

Usage

A transitive verb, sometimes used literally (physical gagging) but more often figuratively (suppressing speech or expression). Formal and relatively literary register.