hush money

Definitions

Money paid to someone to prevent them from disclosing embarrassing or discreditable information.

A bribe given to ensure silence or secrecy regarding a particular matter.

Examples

The politician was accused of paying hush money to keep his extramarital affair out of the headlines.

She refused to accept the hush money offered by the company to stay silent about the safety violations.

Synonyms

bribe payoff blood money kickback grease payment inducement for silence

Antonyms

whistleblowing public disclosure honest compensation legal fee transparent payment truthful testimony