1
as in choked
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in muted
Related Words
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
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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
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Servers also handed out Impossible nuggets smothered in mustard, which vanished just as fast.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Griggs and his fellow expeditioners were walking through the aftermath of the 20th century’s most prolific act of volcanism — a 60-hour frenzy that smothered much of the Pacific Northwest in onyx snow.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Smith squibbed a soft ground ball up the first-base line that Carlos Santana smothered beyond the bag.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
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
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
When his team returned to the deep-sea site, however, its brilliant colors were smothered under a blanket of fluffy gray scum.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Servers also handed out Impossible nuggets smothered in mustard, which vanished just as fast.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Griggs and his fellow expeditioners were walking through the aftermath of the 20th century’s most prolific act of volcanism — a 60-hour frenzy that smothered much of the Pacific Northwest in onyx snow.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Smith squibbed a soft ground ball up the first-base line that Carlos Santana smothered beyond the bag.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
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
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
-
Scientists also asked the astronauts to report their perception of color and tone on the night side of the Moon, where only the muted hues of sunlight reflected off the Earth illuminate the surface.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, a muted matte texture helps tone down this neon pink manicure.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After kidnapping the child, Horner strangled Athena and dumped her body in the Trinity River in rural Wise County.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Lisbet Fariñas testified during the Spencer hearing of Rafael Andres, 61, who in 2005 beat, stabbed and strangled her sister, Yvette Fariñas.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Angels’ offense was stifled in a 10-inning, 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners during their home opener Friday night in front of 44,931 fans at Angel Stadium.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Academic journals struggled to put out issues, stifled by high printing costs and staff layoffs, scrounging for enough articles to fill their pages and paying subscribers to read them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Potted plants can be brought into unheated garages or basements during cold snaps or buried in the ground, pot and all.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
And just as Nicky is the only person who can see Morgan’s goodness inside her many flaws, only Morgan recognizes Nicky’s unhappiness buried within his bizarre decision to be a priest.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 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
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This time, economists say the job market and consumer spending are weaker, and there are no large government stimulus checks being issued to spur demand.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
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Then, a strong hit by Sennecke on fellow rookie Michael Misa gave way to a weak clearing attempt by former King Tyler Toffoli.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, a student with autism drowned after wandering away from their family.—
Dennis Valera,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Eclipses give solar scientists a rare chance to study the sun's wispy outer atmosphere, or corona, which is usually drowned out by the overwhelming glare of the solar disk.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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