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
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Recent Examples of smothered
Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
The service is graceful and nimble, too; diners are taken care of without being smothered, while tablecloths are meticulously ironed out (right in front of guests) when tables turn.
—Katie Chang, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Soldiers marched the victims to bomb craters at Kamianets-Podilskyi and turned machine guns on them; the victims were either shot or smothered.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Luckily, once the daughter comes home for visits, Nemo gets smothered with love.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Colson smothered Fisk just short of the first-down marker after Fisk made the reception.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Over the course of six seasons and two movies, the show’s thrillingly cynical core got smothered by cloying commercialism—a fixation on both wide-eyed romance and flamboyant luxury.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
Those findings suggested Aria died of asphyxiation, likely smothered, before being placed in the pool, the warrant read.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Her legacy endures with the scarf-worthy burritos, burgers, smothered fries and tamales, most of them available with savory green chile stew ladled on top.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Bernie Sanders was smothered and locked out by the corporate Democrats and media.
—Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
The service is graceful and nimble, too; diners are taken care of without being smothered, while tablecloths are meticulously ironed out (right in front of guests) when tables turn.
—Katie Chang, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Soldiers marched the victims to bomb craters at Kamianets-Podilskyi and turned machine guns on them; the victims were either shot or smothered.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Luckily, once the daughter comes home for visits, Nemo gets smothered with love.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Colson smothered Fisk just short of the first-down marker after Fisk made the reception.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Over the course of six seasons and two movies, the show’s thrillingly cynical core got smothered by cloying commercialism—a fixation on both wide-eyed romance and flamboyant luxury.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
Those findings suggested Aria died of asphyxiation, likely smothered, before being placed in the pool, the warrant read.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Her legacy endures with the scarf-worthy burritos, burgers, smothered fries and tamales, most of them available with savory green chile stew ladled on top.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Verb
-
Kennedy, 71, has spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological condition in which the muscles that open and close his vocal cords spasm involuntarily, creating a strained or strangled quality to his speech.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The women were strangled and rendered unconscious during the attack.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Detroit was stifled all night by the new look Packers defense with Micah Parsons in the fold, unable to generate the big plays that were a staple of the Detroit offense in past years when former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was calling the plays.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Watch The Incredibles films on Disney+ Luca Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) are sea monsters who feel stifled in the water.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The actress whipped out some ballerina dance moves to ensure each pair was still comfortable enough for any and all activities.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This mordant delight — about two young men who befriend one another in a support group for people who’ve lost a twin — whipped the Eccles theater into a frenzy with its cuttingly dark laughs and unexpected plot twists.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s not the kind of hold that the mid-budget neo noir was depending on after a muted opening.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The dresses, in muted shades ranging from pale pink to pearl gray, cream and black, contrast layers of vaporous tulle and organza with long ruffled skirts and collared capes in satin or taffeta edged with lace.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
De’Andre Johnson ambushed and choked the agent in a DCS office, livestreaming the attack on Facebook.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Court documents now identify him as the victim of a brutal assault during which he was bound by a bedsheet, choked and beaten.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Defenders shot down or suppressed 112 drones, the air force said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Until the 1960s, members of this Indigenous minority were discouraged from reindeer herding, and the church and state suppressed their language and culture.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Growing up during the Lebanese Civil War, famed architect and designer Aline Asmar d’Amman was often cozied in her room, her nose buried in a book to dampen the noise from the bombs outside.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Gomez and Morticia buried him, but kept his disembodied hand, which eventually became Thing (Victor Dorobantu).—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Since Ibsen wrote the suffocated aristocrat with her poison tongue into existence 135 years ago, titans of theatre have grappled with Gabler.—
Ben Jureidini,
Them.,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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