This is the 12367th most frequent Portuguese word.
silenciar
To silence; to quieten.
Here, 'silenciar' is used to indicate causing the group to become quiet.
O professor conseguiu silenciar a turma com apenas um olhar.
The teacher managed to silence the class with just a glance.
In this context, 'silenciar' refers to turning off or muting the sound capability of a device.
Eu decidi silenciar meu telefone durante a reunião importante.
I decided to silence my phone during the important meeting.
Here, 'silenciar' means to suppress or put an end to the dissemination of rumors or information.