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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smothered
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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Of course, the barbershop, where ball talk is real talk, and where the expectations around the Dodgers upcoming quest for a three-peat recently smothered me like a hot towel to the head.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu's North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
The Baseball Network, a joint venture between ABC, NBC and MLB, was effectively smothered in its crib in 1995, and the fallout led to the ABC broadcast flagship cutting ties with the league for a quarter-century.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Chef Rob Chambers, who grew up making pasta with an aunt in Campania, brings a modern twist to Italian classics—think plates of rigatoni smothered in pork sausage ragù, served pretty as a picture.
—Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
On Sundays, Nana’s serves up chicken and waffles, beef tips and rice, smothered turkey wings and oxtail.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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
In the end, Carr’s efforts at the FCC stand to turn laws meant to protect free speech into opportunistic muzzles, leaving network TV smothered by a conversation its leadership spent too long avoiding.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Of course, the barbershop, where ball talk is real talk, and where the expectations around the Dodgers upcoming quest for a three-peat recently smothered me like a hot towel to the head.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu's North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
The Baseball Network, a joint venture between ABC, NBC and MLB, was effectively smothered in its crib in 1995, and the fallout led to the ABC broadcast flagship cutting ties with the league for a quarter-century.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Chef Rob Chambers, who grew up making pasta with an aunt in Campania, brings a modern twist to Italian classics—think plates of rigatoni smothered in pork sausage ragù, served pretty as a picture.
—Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
On Sundays, Nana’s serves up chicken and waffles, beef tips and rice, smothered turkey wings and oxtail.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 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
-
In the meantime, the Bay Area will stay dry on Thursday with a notable warming trend as temperatures rise back into the 80s across the interior, with a more muted warmup (into the 70s) closer to the water.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In markets, trading has been mixed across Asia, while European futures indicate a muted open.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That’s a dynamic that strangled the labor market.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
-
As of March 23, 2026, the global energy market is no longer governed by the invisible hand of economics; it is being strangled by the rigid, non-negotiable laws of engineering.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While there is no law in Connecticut explicitly prohibiting the use of plug-in panels, also known as balcony solar, the need for interconnection agreements with local utilities and a lack of clear regulations has effectively stifled their widespread adoption, experts say.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Fisherman and former drug addict Dave has lived his whole life there, equally stifled and saved by his surroundings.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Also stolen was a bronze plaque honoring the 18 unmarked graves of African Americans who were also buried there.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Many of the more subtle quakes, buried in background noise, were invisible to human eyes.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That conditional pick, acquired in August’s salary dump of Haywood Highsmith, effectively has become extinguished.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
-
As the anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis recently showed, local demonstrations often become national news only once protesters’ lives have been imperilled or, worse, extinguished.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An atmospheric river should track across California, even into southern California, by Tuesday, March 31, but is currently forecast to remain too weak to cause flooding issues, the WPC said.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nevertheless, higher gasoline prices have drowned out any hope of a rate cut among the chattering classes.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Those who yelled were drowned out by the chanting and singing.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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