suppressed; suppressing; suppresses
1
: to put down by authority or force : subdue
suppress a riot
2
: to keep from public knowledge: such as
a
: to keep secret
b
: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of
suppress the test results
3
a
: to exclude from consciousness
b
: to keep from giving vent to : check
suppressed her anger
4
obsolete
: to press down
5
a
: to restrain from a usual course or action
suppress a cough
b
: to inhibit the growth or development of
6
: to inhibit the genetic expression of
suppress a mutation
Examples of suppress in a Sentence
Political dissent was brutally suppressed.
The governor tried to suppress the news.
He struggled to suppress his feelings of jealousy.
She could not suppress her anger.
I had to suppress an urge to tell him what I really thought.
Recent Examples on the Web
Firefighters again worked overnight to suppress flare-ups.
—
Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2024
The country conducts elections but suppresses individual rights, dissent, and the media so egregiously that it can no longer be considered a democracy in any sense of the word.
—Ashoka Mody, The Atlantic, 26 Apr. 2024
Pecker also testified that prosecutors have always told him to tell the truth to the best of his ability.
– Aysha Bagchi
Pecker describes Tiger Woods leverage attempt
Trump lawyer Emil Bove has been asking Pecker about a history of suppressing negative stories about celebrities.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
For years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data, or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content on TikTok.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors also described other arrangements, including one that paid a former Playboy model $150,000 to suppress claims of a nearly yearlong affair with the married Trump, which Trump also denies.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 24 Apr. 2024
During the Syrian civil war, the Syrian government repeatedly gassed its own people, wiping out entire neighborhoods in an effort to suppress the opposition.
—Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Michael Imperioli plays his brother, Peter Stockmann, the mayor, who seeks to suppress Thomas’s findings.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The original film has been notorious for being the one item in the Beatles’ catalog that Apple seemed to want to suppress rather than exploit.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2024
The country conducts elections but suppresses individual rights, dissent, and the media so egregiously that it can no longer be considered a democracy in any sense of the word.
—Ashoka Mody, The Atlantic, 26 Apr. 2024
Pecker also testified that prosecutors have always told him to tell the truth to the best of his ability.
– Aysha Bagchi
Pecker describes Tiger Woods leverage attempt
Trump lawyer Emil Bove has been asking Pecker about a history of suppressing negative stories about celebrities.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
For years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data, or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content on TikTok.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors also described other arrangements, including one that paid a former Playboy model $150,000 to suppress claims of a nearly yearlong affair with the married Trump, which Trump also denies.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 24 Apr. 2024
During the Syrian civil war, the Syrian government repeatedly gassed its own people, wiping out entire neighborhoods in an effort to suppress the opposition.
—Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Michael Imperioli plays his brother, Peter Stockmann, the mayor, who seeks to suppress Thomas’s findings.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The original film has been notorious for being the one item in the Beatles’ catalog that Apple seemed to want to suppress rather than exploit.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suppress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near suppress
Cite this Entry
“Suppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suppress. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suppress
verb
sup·press
sə-ˈpres 
1
: to put down by authority or force
suppress a rebellion
2
a
: to keep from being known
tried to suppress the news
b
: to stop the publication or distribution of
suppressed the test results
3
: to hold back : repress
suppress feelings of jealousy
suppressed a cough
4
: to slow or stop the growth or development of : stunt
Medical Definition
suppress
transitive verb
sup·press
sə-ˈpres
1
: to exclude from consciousness
suppressed anxiety
2
: to restrain from a usual course or action
suppress a cough
3
: inhibit sense 2
suppresses the human immune response—Josie Glausiusz
Josie Glausiusz
especially
: to inhibit the genetic expression of
suppress a mutation
Legal Definition
suppress
transitive verb
sup·press
sə-ˈpres
1
: to put down by authority or force
2
a
: to keep secret
b
: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of
3
a
: to exclude (illegally obtained evidence) from use at trial
suppress narcotics found in violation of the right against unreasonable search and seizure
b
: to fail to disclose (material evidence favorable to a defendant) in violation of due process
accused the prosecution of suppressing evidence
compare brady material
: to suppress evidence
suppressible
adjective
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