Definition
灭口 means 'to silence someone by killing them' (to prevent them from revealing information). It is a separable verb (离合词): the verb 灭 and the noun 口 can be separated by aspect markers like 了 or 过, or by complements like 不了. For example: 杀人灭口 ('kill someone to silence them'), or 灭了他的口 ('silenced him'). You cannot directly place an object after 灭口; instead, use 把 to introduce the person: 他们把证人灭了口.
v.o.
to silence (a witness or accomplice) by killing them
Examples
- 灭口，。Bǎngfěi wèile miè kǒu, bǎ zhèngrén shā le.The kidnappers killed the witness to silence them.
- ，。Tāmen zhōngyú miè le kǒu, méi rén zhīdào nà ge mìmì le.They finally silenced him, and no one knows that secret anymore.
- ，。Jǐngchá gǎndào shí, zuìfàn yǐjīng miè le kǒu.By the time the police arrived, the criminal had already silenced the witness.
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