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

2
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
It was triggered by a punishing summer heat dome that smothered more than 200 million people. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026 Chocolate‑covered everything Chocolate is the year’s dominant sweet, whether it’s poured, drizzled, dipped or smothered. Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 9 July 2026 Raquel got the early advantage and smothered Maxxine in the corner. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Some are smothered in that nuclear rub, the equivalent of a stag-do dare. Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 June 2026 Whether they’re smothered in pepper jelly, doused in barbecue sauce, or wrapped in bacon, appetizers are your chance to set the tone and impress your guests (because, let’s face it, nothing beats the satisfaction of compliments on your spread). Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 June 2026 One night in 1983, the two smothered Smith’s kitchen in corn kernels. Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026 When doctors smothered it in ointment, about 45 larvae crawled out. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026 Scientists feared the Santa Monica Mountains’ last remaining steelhead trout were dead, smothered by debris flows unleashed by the Palisades fire. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Adjective
  • Baghaei said the future of the choked Strait of Hormuz will depend on the countries of Oman and Iran, as both nations have a plan to manage passage through the waterway.
    Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • 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
  • Even though Clinton’s remarks Saturday received muted response on cable news due to the heatwave and Trump’s excesses, online the former President deftly tapped into the shifts among Democrats for a more combative approach to curb MAGA.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 July 2026
  • Her bronzed makeup look consisted of taupe eyeshadow, black eyeliner, rosy cheeks, and a muted matte lip.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Jackson had been beaten and strangled with the rope that had led the witness to her body.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • The empress returns to her chambers to weep, only to be strangled by a eunuch under the noble consort’s orders.
    Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Bobby Child is stifled by having to work in his family’s banking business.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
  • Likewise, inventories of unsold wine have stifled any sense of buying urgency.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • However, at least 7,500 remain missing buried under the rubble, the Palestinian health ministry told CNN on June 28.
    Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Would her child be buried in a separate part of the cemetery without the appropriate eulogies?
    Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 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
  • Still, the opposite tack—sanctions and isolation—has neither made the Iranian regime weaker nor made its behavior better.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • And it should never be used to paper over weak management, chronic overload, or unresolved conflict.
    Rick Tollakson, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • DofE confirmed a participant drowned on July 1 in a statement.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • The team’s supporters filled a few compact sections, islands of green drowned out in a sea of blue Kylian Mbappé jerseys.
    Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 6 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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