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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Verb
-
Israel also says its large-scale airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon have strangled Hezbollah, cutting off Iran's access to what was once a formidable political and militant force on Israel's northern border.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024 -
Several hours later, she was found dead in her own home – bludgeoned and strangled.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The duo along with Josh Hart stifled the Thunder, holding them to 8-of-21 shooting in the second quarter.—
James L. Edwards III,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
When his scoring is stifled, Edwards will often lose focus in other areas.—
Jon Krawczynski,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
In at least four of the heists, the thieves threatened their victim with a gun; one victim was pistol whipped, cops said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
23 Dec. 2024
-
At the final whistle, James ran onto the field and whipped a towel through the air.—
Thuc Nhi Nguyen,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The halter neckline, open back, and flowing fabric give it a breezy, resort-ready vibe—especially in the muted sage green.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
-
Natural light pours in through the windows, highlighting the soft textures and muted palette.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
At one point, while being choked from behind, the 102-pound, 5-foot-tall 18-year-old managed to fully flip one of her attackers over, with the suspect landing on the concrete ground.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
14 Mar. 2025
-
In February, a female officer was choked, punched, and kicked in the face and body by an inmate with a face covering.—
Peter Cordi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Caspar suppressed his urge to respond.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Ukrainians are uncovering their country’s culinary history – and how its distinctive features were suppressed by the authorities during Soviet rule.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
His family later held a private funeral, and he was buried on June 8, 2018, at the Skogskyrkogården cemetery in Stockholm.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
31 Dec. 2024
-
In related news, in July, forensic scientists successfully used descendant DNA to identify a victim of the 1921 Tulsa massacre in Oklahoma City, buried in a mass grave containing more than a hundred victims.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
In October 2005, a Finnish court acquitted Gustafsson, ruling the evidence against him was too weak and inconsistent.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share