1
as in choked
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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
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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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Recent Examples of smothered
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
Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 May 2026
Through the first three games of the series, the Golden Knights smothered Anaheim’s power play, killing all 11 penalties Vegas took in the series.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
On the other hand, some volcanoes prefer to ambush us, even when smothered in instrumentation.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
The Hurricanes won 3-0 in Saturday night's best-of-seven opener, with Tocchet saying his team didn't react quickly enough to the Hurricanes' aggressive skating that ultimately smothered the Flyers' attack.
—CBS News, 4 May 2026
As soon as that interview was over, Montembeault smothered it in Dobeš’ face.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Then there is the matter of which stories receive oxygen and which ones are smothered with a decorative pillow.
—Larry Clifton, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
This irresistible dessert has tangy orange curd sandwiched between supple layers of cakes smothered in a pecan-cream cheese frosting.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Order Poutine at a Microbrewery Poutine — french fries piled with fresh cheese curds and smothered in gravy — is one of Canada’s most recognizable dishes, and Quebec is its spiritual home.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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
Before this, in the mid 20th century, a standard cut of meat at mealtimes was a pork loin or beef steak, smothered in cream sauce.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 May 2026
Through the first three games of the series, the Golden Knights smothered Anaheim’s power play, killing all 11 penalties Vegas took in the series.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
On the other hand, some volcanoes prefer to ambush us, even when smothered in instrumentation.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
The Hurricanes won 3-0 in Saturday night's best-of-seven opener, with Tocchet saying his team didn't react quickly enough to the Hurricanes' aggressive skating that ultimately smothered the Flyers' attack.
—CBS News, 4 May 2026
As soon as that interview was over, Montembeault smothered it in Dobeš’ face.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Then there is the matter of which stories receive oxygen and which ones are smothered with a decorative pillow.
—Larry Clifton, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
This irresistible dessert has tangy orange curd sandwiched between supple layers of cakes smothered in a pecan-cream cheese frosting.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Order Poutine at a Microbrewery Poutine — french fries piled with fresh cheese curds and smothered in gravy — is one of Canada’s most recognizable dishes, and Quebec is its spiritual home.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Adjective
-
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
-
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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Moreover, the brand’s growth in Europe, Middle East and Africa was impacted by muted consumer sentiment in Europe due to both higher energy costs and inflation and because the conflict impacted the brand’s ability to ship into the Middle East.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Early in the morning after being out at a bar together, Melton went with some of her friends to Wilson's home, where prosecutors alleged that Wilson strangled Melton in bed.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
An autopsy determined the woman had been strangled and her death was ruled a homicide.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Redick added that part of what Holmgren has done, overhelping on defense and forcing Ayton toward the perimeter, has stifled the 7-footer’s production.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
-
Stoner refuses to let his passion for literature be stifled.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Actor Billy Gardell, a Pittsburgh native, walks a new security guard through it all with the schedule buried at the end.—
Teresa M. Walker,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
Research suggests Della Kinder, who mailed the card, was born in 1884, died in 1953, and is buried in Woodruff County.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 May 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
-
Free agency is weak, so the best bet will be the trade market.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The original vision of the Accords – of a rapidly expanding regional bloc openly aligned with Israel and integrated economically across the Middle East – has become a significantly weaker prospect.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In 1994, Susan Smith drowned her two young children by strapping them in a car and rolling it into a South Carolina lake.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
-
Autopsies later revealed that the three had drowned, MLive and WJRT reported.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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