stifled; stifling
ˈstī-f(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to withhold from circulation or expression
stifled our anger
b
: to cut off (the voice, the breath, etc.)
c
: deter, discourage
: to be or become unable to breathe easily
stifling in the heat
: the joint next above the hock in the hind leg of a quadruped (such as a horse or dog) corresponding to the human knee see horse illustration
Synonyms
Examples of stifle in a Sentence
Verb
trying to stifle a cry
I had to stifle the desire to yell “Stop!”.
Students at the school are stifled by the pressure to score high on tests.
Too many regulations stifle innovation.
something that stifles the growth of the plant
I wish we could go outside instead of stifling in this tiny room.
He was almost stifled by the smoke.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Islamabad’s obsession with security stifles the possibility that the country could gain economically from its location on the crossroads between Asia and the Middle East and from its large workforce, and gives the military unaccountable power to undermine democracy.
—Feroz Hassan Khan, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark borrowing rate 11 times beginning in March of 2022 in a bid to stifle the four-decade high inflation that took hold after the economy rebounded from the COVID-19 recession of 2020.
—Matt Ott, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
Her influence cannot be stifled by jail, nor can it be confined to one country.
—Nadia Murad, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Land redistribution ruined many families; artists and intellectuals were stifled and often outright killed; political opponents were tortured and murdered; and over the coming decades the country was plagued by famine, poverty and the suppression of free speech.
—Nick Hilden, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Kadyrov has been leader since 2007 and has used his time in office to stifle any form of dissent.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Everything changes when Ponyboy meets Cherry Valance (Emma Pittman) and discovers that the Socs feel just as stifled by their living circumstances as the Greasers.
—EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
Banning girls’ education stifles the potential of half the population and hinders social and economic progress.
—Enayat Nasir, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2024
Ian Bremmer, Time, 3 Jan. 2023
That is an element that McMillan wants to develop after watching the Miami Heat stifle Young in the playoffs, giving the Hawks few other options to get the offense rolling.
—Paul Newberry, ajc, 24 Sep. 2022
That’s partly because Bavarians are equally opposed to market-skewing big government and monopolistic businesses, on the grounds that both stifle competition.
—Osha Gray Davidson, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2015
The US Department of Justice is reportedly preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple for abusing its market power to stifle competition.
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 30 Nov. 2022
Most have been imprisoned, injured, and killed by a diehard group trained by the regime to stifle dissent at all costs.
—Tara Kangarlou, Time, 5 Dec. 2022
Control of the Senate remains a toss-up, but even if Democrats retain control of that chamber a GOP House majority would be able stifle President Biden’s agenda.
—Charlie Savage, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Oct. 2022
These bills have delivered results - from tax and fee cuts to removing burdensome red tape and regulations that stifle job creators.
—Jessica Haire, Baltimore Sun, 24 Oct. 2022
It's made in the U.S.A. with eco-friendly materials that stifle bacteria growth.
—John Thompson, Men's Health, 1 Aug. 2022
Verb
Known for its progressive culture, Google is now facing criticism for allegedly stifling dissent and breaching its values of openness and inclusivity.
—Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Islamabad’s obsession with security stifles the possibility that the country could gain economically from its location on the crossroads between Asia and the Middle East and from its large workforce, and gives the military unaccountable power to undermine democracy.
—Feroz Hassan Khan, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark borrowing rate 11 times beginning in March of 2022 in a bid to stifle the four-decade high inflation that took hold after the economy rebounded from the COVID-19 recession of 2020.
—Matt Ott, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
Her influence cannot be stifled by jail, nor can it be confined to one country.
—Nadia Murad, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Land redistribution ruined many families; artists and intellectuals were stifled and often outright killed; political opponents were tortured and murdered; and over the coming decades the country was plagued by famine, poverty and the suppression of free speech.
—Nick Hilden, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Kadyrov has been leader since 2007 and has used his time in office to stifle any form of dissent.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Everything changes when Ponyboy meets Cherry Valance (Emma Pittman) and discovers that the Socs feel just as stifled by their living circumstances as the Greasers.
—EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
Banning girls’ education stifles the potential of half the population and hinders social and economic progress.
—Enayat Nasir, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
These tools will help autocrats undermine democracy abroad and stifle dissent at home, and enable demagogues and populists within democracies to weaponize AI for narrow political gain at the expense of democracy and civil society.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 3 Jan. 2023
That is an element that McMillan wants to develop after watching the Miami Heat stifle Young in the playoffs, giving the Hawks few other options to get the offense rolling.
—Paul Newberry, ajc, 24 Sep. 2022
That’s partly because Bavarians are equally opposed to market-skewing big government and monopolistic businesses, on the grounds that both stifle competition.
—Osha Gray Davidson, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2015
The US Department of Justice is reportedly preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple for abusing its market power to stifle competition.
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 30 Nov. 2022
Most have been imprisoned, injured, and killed by a diehard group trained by the regime to stifle dissent at all costs.
—Tara Kangarlou, Time, 5 Dec. 2022
Control of the Senate remains a toss-up, but even if Democrats retain control of that chamber a GOP House majority would be able stifle President Biden’s agenda.
—Charlie Savage, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Oct. 2022
These bills have delivered results - from tax and fee cuts to removing burdensome red tape and regulations that stifle job creators.
—Jessica Haire, Baltimore Sun, 24 Oct. 2022
It's made in the U.S.A. with eco-friendly materials that stifle bacteria growth.
—John Thompson, Men's Health, 1 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stifle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stifle. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
stifle
noun
sti·fle
ˈstī-fəl
: the joint next above the hock in the hind leg of a quadruped (as a horse) corresponding to the knee in humans
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