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
Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Philips slid across the crease to smother a one-timer by Grace Zumwinkle from the left-wing circle early in the power play.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025
Someone had splashed acid on the girl and then smothered her, an autopsy revealed.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
Victor used flags and banners meant to bring awareness to the hostages to smother flames that had consumed another marcher.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Philips slid across the crease to smother a one-timer by Grace Zumwinkle from the left-wing circle early in the power play.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
Noun
The boy witnessed his mother try to smother his sibling, who is under 3-months-old, with a pillowcase, police said.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025
Someone had splashed acid on the girl and then smothered her, an autopsy revealed.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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At one point, her former sweetheart tried to leap from his chair to strangle her.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
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Tania Thomas, 47, was strangled to death in July 2024 during a multi-day conjugal visit with husband Anthony Desean Curry.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Franchising does not need to stifle creativity, or be faceless and lacking in personality - in fact a strong and collaborative franchise network can be a fantastic melting pot of ideas to fuel innovation and growth which benefits both franchisor and franchisee.—
Fiona Simpson,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Detractors argue the current system enforces outdated policies, stifles institutional innovation, and advances a liberal agenda, often through mandates tied to DEI initiatives.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Where power lines are buried, flooding can also cause issues.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Meanwhile, every attempt to create ethical walls and accountability at PURA have been quietly buried by those who benefit from the dysfunction.—
Timothy M. Herbst,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Two games later, Higashioka was packing up his locker and heading into free agency on the steam of a career-high 17 homers.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Throughout the movie, interspersed with shots of an exasperated Silverstone fending off her younger lover’s calls to her office and strutting through New York City streets in sky-high stilettos, are shots of Silverstone in gym clothes boxing with a personal trainer to blow off steam.—
Mara Santilli,
Flow Space,
4 July 2025
Verb
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For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
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As a result, millions more children and vulnerable people will be forced to choke on toxic fumes while manufacturing executives pour more money into dying steel plants.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Fed up with the government’s inaction, a group of residents created Polish Smog Alert, an advocacy organization pushing for legislation to suppress the smog.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Trump is unsurprisingly attracted to this paradise for the ultra-wealthy, where money is speech, labor is suppressed, dissent is criminalized and a monarch holds all power.—
Sonali Kolhatkar,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2025
Verb
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There can be ways to overcome the objections of the people who are concerned that new technology will make their jobs obsolete.—
Edward Segal,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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Meanwhile, a college in the U.K. has now stepped up and started offering classes on making and taking phone calls to help Gen Z overcome this fear.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Google, Meta, Microsoft, Visa, and Mastercard have invested in cloud infrastructure, payments, and talent development.—
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji,
semafor.com,
30 June 2025
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This mix of spending discipline and sustainable cloud growth should enable Oracle to post accelerating earnings growth starting in 2027, Reback added.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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