smothered 1 of 2

past tense of smother
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

smothered

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smothered
Adjective
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Verb
  • The victim in the case was just 7 years old when she was kidnapped, raped, strangled, stuffed in the trunk of a car and then thrown off a bridge after being wrapped in a blanket and having a bag tied over her head, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The man allegedly had strangled his wife, repeatedly punched her in the head and forced her to walk around naked.
    Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The equity-grading scandal underscores a destructive phenomenon, which since the 1960s has increasingly stifled America’s can-do spirit with countless rules and regulations.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Woods Richardson, who allowed just two hits, outdueled Yankees starter Carlos Rodón, who completely stifled the Twins (66-84) the last time the two teams played.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With notes of caramel, maple sugar, and whipped coconut, Ellis Brooklyn’s latest launch proves that sweet can still be sophisticated.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
  • As the winds whipped across the seaside links-style layout, the competition heated up.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Markets were relatively muted on Friday.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The soft, muted tones of the jewels and beads used throughout the garment created an incandescent quality.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The same jury did, however, convict Chambers of battery and false imprisonment for other prior altercations in which prosecutors said Chambers pushed, grabbed and choked Dadkhah.
    City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The air around the mop sink was choked by 20 flies.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Air defenses downed or suppressed 52 drones, the air force said, with the missile and six drones impacting across three locations.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Although Canon had mandated that the Cat's programmability be suppressed, the IAI team nevertheless maintained the ability to compute expressions, which Canon permitted as an extension of the editor metaphor.
    Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Afterwards, a group of early humans buried her in an ancient, sacred place along a lakeshore.
    Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Her husband will be buried in the country.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 11 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

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Cite this Entry

“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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