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
Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
The poulet en croûte—a French riff on a classic chicken pot pie, filled with roasted chicken, leeks, morels, and truffles, layered over creamy mashed potatoes, and smothered in rich gravy—was another standout.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Because these rampant vines smother, strangle, crush, and destroy everything around them.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
Its trading floor — the setting for most of the hostile financial bedlam — was last seen smothered in tarpaulin while awaiting closure after the bank was acquired by an Egyptian sovereign wealth fund.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
The poulet en croûte—a French riff on a classic chicken pot pie, filled with roasted chicken, leeks, morels, and truffles, layered over creamy mashed potatoes, and smothered in rich gravy—was another standout.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
Wildlife exposed to oil and grease can suffer fatal effects — the substance can coat feathers and fur, impairing mobility and body temperature regulation, or smother aquatic plants that other species depend on for food and oxygen.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Because these rampant vines smother, strangle, crush, and destroy everything around them.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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Fujita was 20 in 2013 when he was found guilty of strangling and stabbing his former high school girlfriend to death in Wayland.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Overall, though, Joseph's fleet bounced back enough to stifle the tight end for the rest of the half, as Bowers finished with just one catch on three targets.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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Lean also refuted claims that bipolar disorder stifles creativity.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There is no dignity, and no justice, in a system that buries an elderly woman alive in silence.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University College London have found that humans can detect objects buried in sand without directly touching them.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The research team highlighted that this process creates ideal conditions for atmospheric water vapour to condense into droplets on the cooler surface, the way steam condenses on your bathroom mirror.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
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The mobile-to-satellite market is starting to gain steam.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This isn't the first time - or even the second - Johnson has used his training to save a child from choking.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
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Local news outlets, however, reported that the actor has been in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Seoul after collapsing while choking on food at his home.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The weight-loss drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, or GLP-1s, suppress the appetite of users, leading to weight loss.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The experimental once-weekly drug, eloralintide, belongs to the class of drugs that mimic the pancreatic hormone amylin which slows digestion and suppresses hunger.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Samsung says these structural improvements allow the HP5 to overcome traditional low-light limitations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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Vance’s second biggest battle is overcoming political history, which statistically does not favor incumbent vice presidents’ chances of winning the White House.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On-device processing keeps personal data local, while secure cloud services extend functionality with user control.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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That said, don’t wait for perfectly clear skies to head into the hills – even in bright, sunny weather, the Matterhorn loves playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds.—
Rick Steves,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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