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
Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
New Town dominated a clash of two of Baltimore County's top teams with a smothering defense that made life rough on Dulaney.
—James Peters, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2024
Chase originally envisioned that Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) mother Livia (Nancy Marchand) would die at the end of season 1 by having Tony smother her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
If a grease fire ignites, use the lid to to smother it and turn off the stovetop.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
New Town dominated a clash of two of Baltimore County's top teams with a smothering defense that made life rough on Dulaney.
—James Peters, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
Consider applying an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil after pruning to smother scale and insect eggs to the dormant roses.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2024
Chase originally envisioned that Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) mother Livia (Nancy Marchand) would die at the end of season 1 by having Tony smother her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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San Diego police have identified the 61-year-old man who died Saturday after an attacker bashed his head on the ground and strangled him in front of a Hillcrest gas station.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
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She had been beaten and strangled on the steps of her home.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Employees are empowered to be agile and engaged, which fosters the kind of unique contributions that might be stifled in traditional hierarchies.—
Patrick Donegan,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Greatly reducing the overhead funding universities need to produce these discoveries will stifle the innovation America relies on to remain competitive and to ensure progress.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Four months later, J.J. and Tylee's remains were found buried on Chad's property, leading the couple to be indicted on charges of murder.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
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The show has never been out to bury anybody and bury any of the team principles.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Grub Shack, a restaurant owned and run by a Mennonite family, seems to be running at full steam.—
Andy Uhler,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2025
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Installing a steam shower as part of a bathroom renovation has a low ROI, so if your home is meant for a family to live in and your bathroom can afford the space for a bathtub, leave it.—
Aksha Mittapalli,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But, just like peanut butter—which is considered healthy for infants—Levinson says that cold, firm chunks or thick globs of butter may pose a choking hazard.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
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Lawmakers need to get it together soon, or the economy will go from gagging to choking.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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So could a weight loss medication that blocks opiate receptors along with suppressing appetite be effective?—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
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Consider the scenario of deeper economic stagnation: a prolonged downturn could significantly delay the recovery of the housing sector, exacerbating affordability struggles, and suppressing new residential construction.—
Ali Hoss,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Every once in a while, a pitfall of community theater is glimpsed, but only momentarily, and here the heartfelt sense of fun overcomes any little shortcoming.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
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This new computing paradigm excels in real-time optimization and predictive modeling, offering unprecedented opportunities to overcome pressing public-sector challenges.—
Yuval Boger,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Rest assured, there’s more than a silver lining in that gray cloud.—
Chris Carosa,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Palo Alto continues to win business in both the cloud and on premises.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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