1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
children should never play inside discarded appliances because they could become trapped and smother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bury
to defeat by a large margin
the soccer team smothered their first few opponents in the championships, but lost narrowly in the final round
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smother
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
The breakfast burrito, smothered in both red and green chile, could cure anything.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2025
Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
The salt, fat and juice smother the pickles and mustard, snuffing out the vinegar and tang.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
The cardboard will smother the grass by blocking sunlight and stopping its growth.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
The breakfast burrito, smothered in both red and green chile, could cure anything.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2025
Noun
Philips slid across the crease to smother a one-timer by Grace Zumwinkle from the left-wing circle early in the power play.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
The salt, fat and juice smother the pickles and mustard, snuffing out the vinegar and tang.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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There was another path—to strangle the regime and empower the people.—
Nazanin Boniadi,
Time,
17 June 2025
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And those payments are now strangling the city’s budget.—
Daniel Borenstein,
Mercury News,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Trump sent 700 Marines Tuesday to help National Guard troops stifle protest violence and damage, according to the Los Angeles Times.—
Abby Pender,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2025
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The Office for Students said Thursday that freedom of speech and academic freedom are crucial to higher education, so the guidelines are designed to ensure that universities don’t stifle any form of legal speech on their campuses or in their classrooms.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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Any parts of the hull that weren't quickly buried by silt have long since decomposed in the water.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Carney also warned that while the repeal effort is gaining steam, the Senate remains an uphill battle.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
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Michigan’s class began the day at No. 39 in the composite rankings but has started to pick up steam, particularly on the defensive line.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Officers then spoke to the second victim, who said Bonds slammed them to the floor and choked them as well.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
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Its options are widely considered to include retaliation against U.S. forces in the region as well as choking a major global oil supply route, the Strait of Hormuz.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 June 2025
Verb
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This outdated mentality fosters two counterproductive patterns: emotional repression, in which individuals suppress feelings, and emotional reactivity, where feelings are expressed impulsively and without regulation.—
Andriana Eliadis,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Firefighters are working to suppress the fire, which is currently burning with a slow rate of spread.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Indiana tried its best to overcome heartbreak in Game 7: Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star point guard who was playing with a calf strain in his right leg, suffered an achilles injury in the first quarter.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
23 June 2025
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The Thunder overcame two Game 7s en route to the title, and they will now forever be called champions.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
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In particular, Bailey’s stock clouds that situation.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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Unlike previous eruptions from 4114, this powerful flare was not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a cloud of solar plasma and magnetic field that can travel through space and strike Earth's magnetic field, sparking auroras.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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