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
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
If roots are buried too deeply, they can be smothered.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, after getting completely smothered over the past two nights, the Red Sox offense jolted to life in the second inning and took advantage of a defensive miscue that extended the inning.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
With Smart’s unwavering defensive commitment, the Lakers smothered the Rockets in Game 1 and were just as effective in Game 2 when Durant made his series debut after missing the first game because of a right knee contusion.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 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
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
If roots are buried too deeply, they can be smothered.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, after getting completely smothered over the past two nights, the Red Sox offense jolted to life in the second inning and took advantage of a defensive miscue that extended the inning.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
With Smart’s unwavering defensive commitment, the Lakers smothered the Rockets in Game 1 and were just as effective in Game 2 when Durant made his series debut after missing the first game because of a right knee contusion.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 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
-
Almost all of her daytime choices are neutral tones — soft grays or muted colors, pinstriped wool blazers and soft charcoals.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2026
-
Rooms were designed by Lowell and decorator Tiffany Vassilakis, featuring muted interiors, fireplaces and claw-foot tubs — closer in feel to a private country home than a traditional hotel.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Wanner's body was found three weeks later, strangled to death, in a remote area outside Foresthill, about 40 miles away from her home.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
She had been raped and strangled, according to the Sheriff's Office.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jerar Encarnacion stifled a fifth-inning rally with a double-play groundout, after Rafael Devers reached on a leadoff single and took third on a Jung Hoo Lee single.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
2 May 2026
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Both are critical of Measure ULA, which has stifled development across the city.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Victor Wembanyama buried one difficult jumper after another, capping a 37-point, 15-rebound performance that led the Spurs to a 115-108 victory in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series advantage.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
Marner buried three goals and assisted on another by Brayden McNabb.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 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
-
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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Conditions change quickly, signals conflict with each other, and weak assumptions tend to get exposed without much delay.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Michelle said medical professionals at the hospital told her that Juan drowned after his leg got caught in the lake's fountain, trapping him under the water.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In 2018, 32-year-old Francis Roselin, of West Palm Beach, drowned while enjoying festivities on the water.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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