smothered 1 of 2

smothered

2 of 2

verb

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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3

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
Outside of smothered biscuit sandwiches, District Biskuits also sells mac and cheese, chicken tenders with various dipping sauces, waffle fries and other sides. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026 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
Jeans were smothered in coral at Dolce & Gabbana and festooned with feathers and appliqués at Roberto Cavalli. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 Officials spotted the ball 1 1/2 yards from the goal line and UCLA’s defense smothered rusher Jordon Davison to thwart the Ducks' second chance. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Top with reserved hazelnuts and press in gently to adhere (surface will be smothered with nuts). — Tanya Bush, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026 Ramírez smothered the ball under him, picked it up, spun and rifled a strike to Nathaniel Lowe at first base for the final out of the inning, silencing the 40,590 fans at Rate Field. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Noah Kim threw two touchdown passes and the Eastern Michigan defense smothered Lindenwood to help post a 29-3 win on Saturday. — CBS News, 26 Sep. 2026 One holdover from the previous establishment is Nettie’s lasagna ($33), a robust slab of bechamel and noodles smothered in cheese — pure comfort food. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026 The 10-ounce Kansas City strip steak comes smothered in steak butter for $40. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026 My life was tied up in electric razor-wire fences and smothered in concrete. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Adjective
  • The western island of South Sumatra also battled fires, with more than 1,700 hot spots detected on Sunday, causing a choked haze cloud and reducing visibility to only 10 meters (33 feet) in some areas, the ministry said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • However, that deal fell apart after the US unleashed a fresh wave of attacks on Iran in mid-July, following Iranian strikes on vessels in the choked Strait of Hormuz.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • The characters wear muted, sweeping gowns, their hair often loose.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Stock futures are mixed this morning after the S&P 500 kicked off the week with a muted session.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Julia Pederson, 41, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was killed after police say her husband, Jonathan Gatto, 41, strangled her inside the family's home and intentionally set it on fire.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The prosecution said Farwell strangled Birchmore and staged it as a suicide.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Nationwide, Muslim and pro-Palestinian students argued that their speech had been stifled.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The most promising part for the Panthers is that Bryce Young, who leads the NFL in passing yardage, was in no way stifled Sunday.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • First, Protas buried a cross-zone feed from Alex Ovechkin to give Washington the 2-1 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The grave contained no grave goods — objects buried alongside the dead — but archaeologists were able to estimate its age based on the skeleton's crouched position and the grave's relationship to the nearby settlement and one of its houses.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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
  • The makeup is top-tier, the Aaliyah swoop bang is swooping, and the jewelry accents stand out without doing too much, which is usually her weak spot.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Brennan's maiden win came at the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship in November against an admittedly weaker field.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Streaming Friday on Peacock, Crystal Lake stars Linda Cardellini as Pam Voorhees, who struggles to grieve after her son Jason drowned the summer before.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Six months ago, Thomas drowned during rough horseplay in a pool.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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