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
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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
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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
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
Duke’s stream of long, tall, NBA-ready standouts smothered Alabama and papered over Cooper Flagg’s rough shooting night to lift the Blue Devils to the program’s 18th Final Four with an 85-65 victory Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region final.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Every year the parade participants stop to smother one of the local residents dressed as Maximón, the patron saint of bad behavior, in toilet paper and silly string.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
Get The Recipe 05 of 15 Asparagus Gratin Anything smothered in cheese sauce is delicious, and asparagus is no exception.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
Duke’s stream of long, tall, NBA-ready standouts smothered Alabama and papered over Cooper Flagg’s rough shooting night to lift the Blue Devils to the program’s 18th Final Four with an 85-65 victory Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region final.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Noun
The youngster, making his first Argentina start, tries to round Sergio Rochet, but fails as the Uruguay goalkeeper smothers.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Every year the parade participants stop to smother one of the local residents dressed as Maximón, the patron saint of bad behavior, in toilet paper and silly string.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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The condition involves the involuntary pulling of the muscles that open and close the vocal folds, causing the voice to sound strained and strangled, at times with a breathy quality.—
Indu Subramanian,
The Conversation,
1 May 2025
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Despite Jacmel’s sense of calm compared to Port-au-Prince, there’s fear that the terror strangling the capital and its neighboring Artibonite region will spread.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At the time, according to Mark Green, an IRS spokesman, Congress believed deductions for personal interest encouraged people to consume and stifle savings.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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The students met regularly and secretly with their professors to study literature, philosophy and theology from the Catholic intellectual tradition, banned by the Nazi regime as part of Hitler’s strategy to first stifle and then strangle the Catholic Church in Germany.—
Peter Nguyen,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Prominent government leaders like John F. Kennedy and Thurgood Marshall, as well as famous women including Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Grace Hopper, are buried here, too.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
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Here in Paris, he is technically buried on American soil: earth from the Battle of Bunker Hill.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
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The inviting indoor-outdoor spa has everything guests need to relax after a day’s excursions, including a heated indoor pool, steam room, sauna, and an outdoor pool and hot tub with mountain views.—
Liz Humphreys,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2025
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Spaces in the center will include private massage rooms, his and her saunas and steam rooms, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center and movement studio.—
Peter Lane Taylor,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The woman told investigators that Washington had allegedly choked her after finding her ex-boyfriend’s phone number in her cell phone contacts, the report said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2025
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When one student hit the victim, Morrison asked the student if the victim had ever made fun of them, court documents show, adding that the student then choked the victim.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Orwell authored 1984, a bleak vision of the future where an authoritarian regime weaponizes language to suppress independent thought and rewrite history.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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However, consistent, long-term stress can wear down your immune system, exposing you to inflammation and suppressing your body's response to infections.2 UTIs occur when the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, is infected.—
Brittany Dube,
Health,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Even before the latest crackdown, Florida Decides Healthcare and every other Florida initiative campaign had to overcome immense hurdles.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2025
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The situation can be complicated further when a patient is navigating an unfamiliar medical system, has to overcome a language barrier, or takes a flight soon after an operation.—
Parizaad Khan Sethi,
Allure,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Pull out your credit card to shop our favorite finds like the stylish outdoor lounge chair to relax poolside as the sun peeks from behind the clouds.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
13 May 2025
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The Juneteenth show in Texas was the culmination of an unlikely rise, literally to the clouds, for a Black woman whose courage still astounds a century later.—
Victor Luckerson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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