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
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
The series centers on Bode (Max Thieriot), an ex-con who finds redemption and purpose while smothering flames with the Cal Fire program.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
When Chelsea try to move through the centre, Sunderland smother it and have the chance to counter — but show crucial patience.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
On the latter, Bollywood royalty Asha Bhosle, 92, sings in Hindi of setting sail to the other side, but Albarn smothers her beneath heraldic bursts of Disneyfied psych-pop.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
The series centers on Bode (Max Thieriot), an ex-con who finds redemption and purpose while smothering flames with the Cal Fire program.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
At Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, Mediterranean scrub smothers steep hillsides that edge abruptly to meet a surreal, gin-clear water.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
When Chelsea try to move through the centre, Sunderland smother it and have the chance to counter — but show crucial patience.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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Police responded to the halfway house after Grayson missed multiple appointments later in the day and found that she had been strangled.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2026
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She had been strangled with a wire, which was still around her neck.—
Audrey Abrahams,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An intensification of violence in Iran and the Gulf triggered a global stock selloff earlier this week, driving credit risk gauges higher and stifling primary issuance.—
Claire Ruckin,
Bloomberg,
5 Mar. 2026
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That narrative stifled research on Polish antisemitism and Poles who killed Jews during and after the Holocaust.—
Shira Li Bartov,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Like your mother’s complacency, which was probably buried in your gene code somewhere.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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Said to be the first person buried on the hill that became Oakwood Cemetery, the city's oldest, he was killed while traveling between Bastrop and Austin.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There’s a ladies’ and a gentlemen’s flanking the stairwell on this upper entry level, each outfitted with a cold plunge, sauna, steam room, and showers inside and out.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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Soap and water can do the trick without the need for harsh cleaners, steam mops, and excess water.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran may soon run out of drones, yet has other asymmetrical options – such as choking the Strait of Hormuz or plotting terror on foreign soil – that can irritate the US and disrupt peace.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Chan then forced Tay to drink rubbing alcohol and sealed his moth with duct tape — forcing him to choke on his own vomit — before burying him in the makeshift grave.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bondi wants to suppress, or at least stall, state Bar investigations against them.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
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Which stories persist, which fade and which are actively suppressed are decisions increasingly made by private companies rather than public institutions.—
Arnaud Kurze,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The president's endorsement didn't clear the GOP crowded field to replace Greene — some observers cast that as a sign of weakness — but Fuller easily overcame other Republican contenders.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
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Next, despite a close first half, Kansas State couldn’t overcome BYU and star freshman AJ Dybansta, falling to the Cougars 105-91 to finish off a disappointing season.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Dublin data center, which can run both cloud and AI workloads, has a total capacity of about 110 megawatts.—
April Roach,Gaelle Legrand,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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