1
as in choked
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in muted
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Dissimilar Words
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
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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 buried
to defeat by a large margin
the soccer team smothered their first few opponents in the championships, but lost narrowly in the final round
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smothered
Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Smolen scrambled and threw a high pass into the end zone, where Thompson was smothered by three defenders.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
But this defense smothered Atlanta and especially star running back Bijan Robinson.
—Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
These downhome potatoes earn their Western stripes by sizzling in bacon grease before getting smothered with barbecue sauce, cheese, peppers, and plenty of crispy bacon.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Over time, it was smothered by sand brought in to replenish the beach.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
There’s no lawn to be smothered by two feet of piled up, soaking wet winter leaves.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
Grass doesn’t like being smothered.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2025
The Sharks are now in their 34th season, and Tuesday’s game marked just the fourth time they’ve been held without a shot in a period as they were smothered by the tight-checking Hurricanes.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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
Etouffees, stewy mixtures served over rice whose name is derived from the French word for smothered.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Smolen scrambled and threw a high pass into the end zone, where Thompson was smothered by three defenders.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
But this defense smothered Atlanta and especially star running back Bijan Robinson.
—Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
These downhome potatoes earn their Western stripes by sizzling in bacon grease before getting smothered with barbecue sauce, cheese, peppers, and plenty of crispy bacon.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Over time, it was smothered by sand brought in to replenish the beach.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
There’s no lawn to be smothered by two feet of piled up, soaking wet winter leaves.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
Grass doesn’t like being smothered.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2025
The Sharks are now in their 34th season, and Tuesday’s game marked just the fourth time they’ve been held without a shot in a period as they were smothered by the tight-checking Hurricanes.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Adjective
-
That snare sound is as instantly identifiable as Miles Davis’s muted horn or Eddie Van Halen’s pyrotechnic neck tapping.—
John Lingan,
Rolling Stone,
8 Nov. 2025
-
With an understated mix of blue and yellow tones that provide warmth but still feel muted.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
During the previous school year, the boy strangled and choked a teacher and pulled up a female classmate’s dress and touched her inappropriately on the school playground, the lawsuit claims.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Their conversation eventually turned violent, leading Packer to call the police after Sweeney had strangled Dunne to the point of unconsciousness.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Between hugs and stifled tears, players walked up to sift through them.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
While some dreams are realized, others are stifled or pushed aside altogether.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Talisay city, rows of homes have been flattened and communities along the Mananga River buried in mud and debris.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Lino’s is a restaurant on 35th Street buried deep in the Garment District.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Crackle, fizz, pop, extinguished.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
With all these no-shows this year, shouldn’t City Hall reach out in the spirit of bipartisanship and extend an invite to the extinguished solon Tran?—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The company attributed the decline to weak demand, shifting some shipments to Q4 and an unfavorable mix.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
-
It is considered a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant women.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
During the previous school year, the boy strangled and choked a teacher and pulled up a female classmate’s dress and touched her inappropriately on the school playground, the lawsuit claims.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
From long before dawn until well past dark, similar rafts choked the river, packed with as many as 20 migrants per raft.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The fresh evidence of how internal dissent was suppressed for the sake of diplomatic relationships exposes a broader crisis of impunity for crimes committed against journalists, and the failure of states to hold other states accountable.—
Scott Griffen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
This may have resulted in cooling that had until now suppressed the sublimation of water ice to steam.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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