hush money

hush money (uncountable)

1. A bribe to maintain secrecy (to prevent bad publicity or to prevent the discovery of a crime).

   The scandal was even greater when it was announced that hush money had been paid to keep the faulty products unannounced.

   • 2023 April 4, Michael Rothfeld, “Private or Political? Charges Over Hush Money Hinge on Payment’s Purpose”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Is paying hush money a crime? In most cases, the answer is no. Hush-money agreements, otherwise known as nondisclosure agreements, have long been used by companies and private individuals to avoid litigation and keep embarrassing information confidential.

• non-disclosure agreement