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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smother
Dee Dee Kerscher, Oc Register, 20 June 2025
These Asian species spread very easily to natural areas, where their vigorous growth smothers native plants.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Bernie Sanders was smothered and locked out by the corporate Democrats and media.
—Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
This method helps smother developing weeds, depriving them of sunlight and the water needed to survive.
—Dee Dee Kerscher, Oc Register, 20 June 2025
These Asian species spread very easily to natural areas, where their vigorous growth smothers native plants.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Noun
Later in the third, Fountain Valley lined up to punt again, but the punter wasn’t able to handle a bad snap and Marina’s Cameron Evans smothered the ball, giving the Vikings possession on the Barons 13.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Bernie Sanders was smothered and locked out by the corporate Democrats and media.
—Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
-
This preserves development velocity while preventing the entropy that eventually strangles the innovation vibe coding enables.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Clark helped the Cowboys slow down last year’s rushing champion, Saquon Barkley, in a 24-20 loss at Philadelphia, while Parsons helped the Packers strangle a Detroit Lions offense that was among the NFL’s best last season in a 27-13 victory.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Watch The Incredibles films on Disney+ Luca Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) are sea monsters who feel stifled in the water.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Experts say this shift could stifle innovation—but here’s how young workers can still get their foot in the door.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the late historian Barry Rubin documented in his biography of Arafat, the Palestinian leader used a variety of methods, both buying off and burying his opponents.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Early in the novel, Harold points out that authors are constantly looking for ways to bury their true beliefs in their text, rather than state them outright.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From there, the snowball of negative plays picked up steam, which explains why the Dolphins finished the game with 211 yards.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Shot against the stunning backdrops of New Zealand, the campaign shows how even the smallest moments of a morning ritual — from the hiss of steam to the first swirl of crema — can embody calm and indulgence.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, the pair execute the moves to the song’s post-chorus, before a bonnet-wearing Colbert pretends to choke on something, causing Gaga to erupt in laughter.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
10 Sep. 2025
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Luckily, the police department had recently brought in a CPR specialist who taught officers how to save choking children.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Although Canon had mandated that the Cat's programmability be suppressed, the IAI team nevertheless maintained the ability to compute expressions, which Canon permitted as an extension of the editor metaphor.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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However, the country's typically strict online censors did not appear to be limiting discussion in the comments—a tactic often used to suppress sensitive or politically awkward narratives.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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How Wi-Fi HaLow Can Help Address These Needs To overcome connectivity gaps in large-scale environmental monitoring, some researchers and technologists are turning to Wi-Fi HaLow.—
Michael De Nil,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The movie adaptation is also rife with metaphors about boys becoming men and overcoming life-or-death circumstances to make it out the other side.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Fair-weather waterspouts form along the base of clouds, starting on the water's surface and don't typically include high winds or thunderstorms, NOAA said.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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This path is for the organization that values neutrality and wants to manage all cloud providers as interchangeable resources.—
Serge Lucio,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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