smothered 1 of 2

smothered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of smother
1
as in strangled
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

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 smothered
Adjective
Outside of smothered biscuit sandwiches, District Biskuits also sells mac and cheese, chicken tenders with various dipping sauces, waffle fries and other sides. Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026 Breakfast is a treat, with made-from-scratch English muffins and housemade jams, plus heartier items like a smothered breakfast burrito. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 Otherwise, Rhoda picks the red rice; Laurence and Oscar pick the hoppin’ John; Anthony and Brittany pick collard greens; Duyen and Brandon pick the smothered cabbage; Justin and Sherry pick potato salad; and Jonathan and Jennifer pick the hoecakes. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026 Robust, malty, and melt-in-your-mouth tender, this smothered cabbage recipe will warm your soul and delight your tastebuds. Pableaux Johnson, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025 The smothered steak biscuit is available to order in-store and online through January 2026, a Bojangles spokesperson told CharlotteFive. Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
According to their expert, those types of symptoms are consistent with being smothered, and occur when something blocks air from entering the airways. Alex Brizee july 22, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026 Exemplary off-ball discipline and application go a long way to explaining the pattern of this game, but the extent to which Argentina were smothered in their seventh World Cup final was a huge surprise. Thom Harris, New York Times, 20 July 2026 Gunther smothered Cody, but Cody came back with to Cody Cutters. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026 It was triggered by a punishing summer heat dome that smothered more than 200 million people. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026 Vater says more aggressive weeds can be smothered out by adding four to six inches of wood chips on top of the cardboard. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 10 July 2026 Chocolate‑covered everything Chocolate is the year’s dominant sweet, whether it’s poured, drizzled, dipped or smothered. Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 9 July 2026 One night in 1983, the two smothered Smith’s kitchen in corn kernels. Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026 Scientists feared the Santa Monica Mountains’ last remaining steelhead trout were dead, smothered by debris flows unleashed by the Palisades fire. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Adjective
  • However, that deal fell apart after the US unleashed a fresh wave of attacks on Iran in mid-July, following Iranian strikes on vessels in the choked Strait of Hormuz.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • San Franciscans who think Muni buses are always packed, or prone to crawl along choked streets, may find their views validated in a new slide presentation released by the Municipal Transportation Agency.
    Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Many pre-fall collections, including Stella McCartney and Carven have embraced this approach, pairing a muted or neutral top with color on the bottom.
    Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 17 July 2026
  • The universe of the film, as all of Nolan’s worlds are, is one drawn from the muted colors of reluctant determination and it’s structured by a gravity of inexpressible guilt.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • In the autopsy, the medical examiner determined that Bruneau was strangled sometime during the midmorning.
    Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • Ortiz allegedly grabbed the woman’s face and neck, threw her to the ground and strangled her, restricting her breathing for about a minute, the prosecutor said in court.
    Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • While some economists express pessimism about future growth due to diminishing returns, Nobel laureates like Joel Mokyr and Philippe Aghion remain optimistic, arguing new technologies like AI enable exponential progress if innovation isn't stifled.
    Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • Massive amounts of rocks and soil roared down a slope and buried more than 10 residential buildings early Friday in Pengshui County on the outskirts of Chongqing.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • After careful physical analysis of six ancient princesses buried beneath the pyramids at Dahshur, researchers now have an answer.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 July 2026
Adjective
  • By the time volunteer firefighters from nearby Cachagua arrived, McCord estimated that the fire was about 70% extinguished.
    Lucy Hodgman, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Mar. 2026
  • That conditional pick, acquired in August’s salary dump of Haywood Highsmith, effectively has become extinguished.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Even durable bouclé material won’t save a sofa built on a weak foundation.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Further, the hinge mechanism provides a bit more assistance, and the magnets are a bit weaker, reducing the force needed to open the phone by half.
    Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • Crump and Wells’ parents have rejected notions from law enforcement that the teenager drowned, launching their own investigation into his death, including the autopsy.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 22 July 2026
  • Authorities also said Jose Mario Pineda Dias, 33, and his wife, 28-year-old Marina Suyapa Regalado — also of Honduras — drowned, The Associated Press and USA Today reported.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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