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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stifle
The Democrats' efforts to stifle this tremendous progress are par for the course for the Defund the Police, Criminals-First Democrat Party.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
District 1 has a large population of minority voters, Harris said, whose voices would be stifled.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
All reports suggest that the Bears’ physicality initially appeared to stifle Dolphins’ offense.
—Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
Further, whites used the threat of racist violence, tacitly approved by elites, to stifle efforts to empower the Black population.
—Time, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
District 1 has a large population of minority voters, Harris said, whose voices would be stifled.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
All reports suggest that the Bears’ physicality initially appeared to stifle Dolphins’ offense.
—Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
Further, whites used the threat of racist violence, tacitly approved by elites, to stifle efforts to empower the Black population.
—Time, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Verb
-
The indictment alleges that Fisher strangled Appleby and knowingly concealed her death by hiding or moving her body, Runty said.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
But Iran perceived Trump’s ploy as nothing short of a bid to bring about regime change by strangling the country’s economy and degrading its state institutions to encourage popular rebellion.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Practical strategies to keep anger in check Great leaders understand that emotional discipline is not about suppressing feelings but instead channeling them productively.—
Dr. Cynthia J. Young,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Today, these antiquated statutes are increasingly being repurposed by governments to suppress opposition by prosecuting speech.—
Stephen Townley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The mic picks up your voice cleanly, so your squad hears you without static or muffling.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 July 2025
-
National Autism Resources notes that many people on the autism spectrum are sound sensitive, and suggests that headphones that muffle sound could be beneficial.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Though so many clubs have choked on their own disco dust, the club-model actually works here, largely because the original home base, Maison Estelle, is still the toast of Mayfair, and artistic director Eiesha Pasricha understands how to create cool.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Use caution with toddlers who could choke on the kernels.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Other signs of cancer include lack of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, trouble swallowing, and a lump in your abdomen.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Still, the alternative is that this thing is unrelated to the only other organisms that share at least a few of its bizarre features, which is a difficult idea to swallow.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Colson smothered Fisk just short of the first-down marker after Fisk made the reception.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Additional lightning strikes from these types of clouds could set off new blazes or reignite areas crews have already smothered.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Recent History of Bonds From the aftermath of the great financial crisis in 2008 through the end of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, global interest rates were repressed by central bankers seeking to stimulate economies.—
Chris Gunster,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
Very few advocated for the kind of theocracy that eventually emerged and went on to repress all non-Islamists.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Amid the backdrop of the suffocating family party, the search for the letter unlocks memories of a past he's tried to forget: months earlier, while working undercover in a mall bathroom, Lucas arrested men by seducing them.—
Ryan Coleman Published,
EW.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
These are the two standout summer jackets that get the job done—rain, shine, or suffocating heat.—
Jakob Schiller,
Outside,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share