Synonyms of stifle

stifle

verb

ˈstī-fəl 

1

as in to strangle

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air

unfortunately, the robbers were stifled when they got trapped in the airless bank vault

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• choke
• smother
• suffocate
• drown
• destroy
• throttle
• slay
• asphyxiate
• fell
• garotte
• garrote
• dispatch
• croak
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• revive
• inhale
• exhale
• resuscitate

2

as in to suppress

to refrain from openly showing or uttering

stifled a yawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suppress
• swallow
• repress
• manage
• control
• smother
• strangle
• contain
• choke (back)
• hold back
• submerge
• quash
• quell
• sink
• govern
• curb
• pocket
• check
• muffle
• squelch
• bridle
• bottle up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• express
• release
• take out
• unleash
• vent
• loose

3

as in to muffle

to deaden the sound of

he stifled a cough with his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muffle
• mute
• insulate
• soften
• pad
• tone (down)
• dampen
• subdue
• mellow
• smother
• soundproof
• baffle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increase
• enhance
• strengthen
• deepen
• amplify
• heighten
• unmuffle
• boost
• magnify
• step up

Examples of stifle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Overregulation of various industries is stifling Colorado’s economy. —The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024

That said, it’s best used when temperatures are below freezing: Hoffman reported that the material felt too stifling during warmer days. —Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024

On his visits to Hala and Maha, the sense of despair was stifling. —Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024

Crypto fans argued that Gensler’s SEC was stifling innovation and forcing talent to move abroad. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024