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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifled
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 whipped
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
1
as in choked
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in muted
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smothered
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
In Philadelphia, they are traditionally served with ribeye steak, smothered with provolone or Cheez-Whiz in a white bun.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Sep. 2025
The fan-favorite sandwich stars three crispy strips, which are topped with Monterey Jack cheese, and smothered in Buffalo Sauce and Creamy Buttermilk Ranch and served on one of the chain’s famous five-inch buns.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
Crispy wings smothered in Mike’s Hot Honey.
—Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Tight end Zach Atkins, head on a swivel, astutely smothered the rock to preserve the score and push CU to within 16-13 before the extra point.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
The smotherer has been smothered.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Moody’s second field goal attempt, from 36 yards, got blocked when Julian Love quickly jumped past Matt Hennessy and smothered Moody’s attempt on its ascent.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Later in the third, Fountain Valley lined up to punt again, but the punter wasn’t able to handle a bad snap and Marina’s Cameron Evans smothered the ball, giving the Vikings possession on the Barons 13.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Instead, the Cowboys played Cover 2, and that look was smothered, so Love checked the ball down to running back Emanuel Wilson, who tried to make cornerback DaRon Bland miss with an inside move but was tackled for a loss of 1 with the clock running.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
In Philadelphia, they are traditionally served with ribeye steak, smothered with provolone or Cheez-Whiz in a white bun.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Sep. 2025
The fan-favorite sandwich stars three crispy strips, which are topped with Monterey Jack cheese, and smothered in Buffalo Sauce and Creamy Buttermilk Ranch and served on one of the chain’s famous five-inch buns.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
Crispy wings smothered in Mike’s Hot Honey.
—Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Tight end Zach Atkins, head on a swivel, astutely smothered the rock to preserve the score and push CU to within 16-13 before the extra point.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
The smotherer has been smothered.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Moody’s second field goal attempt, from 36 yards, got blocked when Julian Love quickly jumped past Matt Hennessy and smothered Moody’s attempt on its ascent.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Later in the third, Fountain Valley lined up to punt again, but the punter wasn’t able to handle a bad snap and Marina’s Cameron Evans smothered the ball, giving the Vikings possession on the Barons 13.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Verb
-
Scott was convicted of participating in the 1981 murder of Larry Miner, who was tied up, beaten, strangled and stabbed.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Kruse said Hoffman likely died within minutes of being strangled with a paracord, The Gazette reports.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Young stifled the 2021 Finals MVP throughout.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The real innovation being stifled today is the innovation that’ll never bloom, suffocated by vertical integration and acquisitions disguised as partnerships.—
Asad Ramzanali,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hakeem actually whipped his members to shut the government down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Folding whipped topping gently into the pudding mixture keeps the filling fluffy and mousse-like.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The muted colors and suede fabric give it an antique feel, and the berry and pinecone accented greenery at the top looks like it was pulled right off grandma’s tree.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The Vatican offered muted congratulations to Mullally on her appointment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Russell said into the microphone, her voice choked with regret, stumbling over each word.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Jane testified during the trial that Combs once broke down four doors trying to get her and then choked, punched, and kicked her in a rage.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Defenders downed or suppressed 439 drones and 39 missiles, the air force said, with eight other missiles failing to reach their targets.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Amazon still faces another lawsuit brought by the FTC in 2023, which alleged that the company is an exploitative monopoly and illegally suppressed competition among online marketplaces.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The number of people believed buried was revised down to 59, from 91, on Wednesday.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The men dropped onto Sulztalferner glacier in Tyrol’s Ötztal Valley and were said to have buried their parachutes in the snow before pressing on.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The videos, which were shared online, showed baby monkeys being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled and mutilated.—
Kevin Grasha,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Additionally, soil that is constantly wet can become compacted, which the horticulturist says could reduce its ability to drain properly leading to suffocated roots that are unable to expand properly.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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