SINCE 1828
suppress
verb
sup·press
| \ sə-ˈpres
\
\
suppressed;
suppressing;
suppresses
Definition of suppress
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
3a
: to exclude from consciousness
b
: to keep from giving vent to : check
suppressed her anger
4
obsolete
: to press down
5a
: 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
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Other Words from suppress
suppressibility
\ sə-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
suppressible
\ sə-ˈpre-sə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
suppressive
\ sə-ˈpre-siv
\
adjective
\
adjective
suppressiveness
\ sə-ˈpre-siv-nəs
\
noun
\
noun
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
The number seems suppressed following the Tar Heels’ underdog victory and Miami taking a loss. — Esten Mclaren, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Miami (Fl.) at North Carolina odds, picks and best bets," 4 Sep. 2019 Dry air can also get caught up in the atmosphere and suppress the formation of thunderstorms. — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, "What you need to know about hurricane season," 3 Sep. 2019 The Good Place star, 33, made headlines for criticizing Kim and Khloé Kardashian for hawking weight loss aids like Flat Tummy Tea and appetite suppressing lollipops. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Jameela Jamil Doesn’t Want to ‘Cancel’ the Kardashians: ‘Just Stop Selling Laxatives’," 27 Aug. 2019 This life-changing treatment is a combination of medications that in addition to improving Edelman’s symptoms also suppresses her immune system. — Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, "I Have a Compromised Immune System—I Rely on Herd Immunity to Live," 26 Aug. 2019 Today, people can take one pill a day to suppress or prevent HIV infection. — María Méndez, Dallas News, "Dallas County and agencies are ramping up efforts to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. Can it be done?," 23 Aug. 2019 Led by former Arizona Republican senator Jon Kyl and his team at the law firm Covington & Burling, the report was commissioned by Facebook in May 2018 in response to accusations that Facebook suppresses conservative views. — Paris Martineau, WIRED, "Accused of Liberal Bias, Facebook Allows Ads With ... Tubes," 21 Aug. 2019 When Trending Topics originally debuted in 2014, it was managed by a team of journalists, who quickly faced withering attacks after reportedly suppressing conservative news. — Fortune, "Facebook Is Hiring Journalists Ahead of a Closely-Watched Return to News," 20 Aug. 2019 Fentanyl, which suppresses breathing, has led to an explosion in the number of Americans dying from opioid overdoses in the past five years. — Kate Santich, orlandosentinel.com, "Faith, business leaders tapped for battle against opioid epidemic," 20 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suppress.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for suppress
suppress
verb
English Language Learners Definition of suppress
: to end or stop (something) by force
: to keep (something) secret : to not allow people to know about or see (something)
: to not allow yourself to feel, show, or be affected by (an emotion)
See the full definition for suppress in the English Language Learners Dictionary
suppress
verb
sup·press
| \ sə-ˈpres
\
\
suppressed;
suppressing
Kids Definition of suppress
suppress
transitive verb
sup·press
| \ sə-ˈpres
\
\
Medical Definition of suppress
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
especially
: to inhibit the genetic expression of
suppress a mutation
Other Words from suppress
suppressibility
\ -ˌpres-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
\
noun,
plural suppressibilities
\
noun,
plural suppressibilities
suppressible
\ -ˈpres-ə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
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suppress
transitive verb
sup·press
| \ sə-ˈpres
\
\
Legal Definition of suppress
1
: to put down by authority or force
2a
: to keep secret
b
: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of
3a
: 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
Other Words from suppress
suppressible
adjective
suppression
\ -ˈpre-shən
\
noun
\
noun
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Comments on suppress
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