smothering 1 of 2

adjective

as in suffocating

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smothering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of smother
1
as in strangling
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifling
to refrain from openly showing or uttering he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in burying
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 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 smothering
Verb
Rodri, Spain’s captain and the anchor of the team’s smothering defense during its unbeaten World Cup run, won the Golden Ball award as the outstanding player of the tournament. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Argentina battled Spain’s smothering defense, but Messi was limited to just 15 touches during the first half, according to ESPN. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 The wildfires have also generated smothering smoke clouds across Canadian and US cities while inflicting hazardous air pollution upon more than 100 million people. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026 Until that breathtaking final 15 minutes, Egypt largely nullified this strategy by packing the centre themselves and smothering those central spaces. — Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 July 2026 The entire roster struggled with smothering on-ball pressure from the Grizzlies. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 Like English ivy, kudzu spreads very aggressively, smothering out native species and potentially becoming a real problem for your garden. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026 The heat in the car is like an aunt who does not stop smothering us. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The Tigers’ defense was also smothering all game. — Erik Anderson, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothering
  1. suffocating
  2. strangling
  3. stifling
  4. burying
  5. oppressive
  6. choking
  7. suppressing
  8. overcoming
Adjective
  • The Valkyries won their third straight game, defeating the Sparks 78-58 behind a suffocating defensive performance.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • The Fleet played a suffocating style of hockey, with a strong forecheck and the ability to wear down opponents with relentless offensive-zone pressure.
    — Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of suffocating
Verb
  • After strangling her children, Lindsay Clancy cut her wrists and throat and jumped from that window, testimony on Monday showed.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
  • Prosecutors accused the Massachusetts mother of strangling her three children — Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan — to death at their home in a Boston suburb in 2023.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of strangling
Verb
  • With the city hall's toilets out of order, officials erected emergency toilets over sewer manholes outside the building, in temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and stifling humidity.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Temperatures Friday were due to rise to 36 C (97 F) in Kumamoto city, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, after stifling 35 C (95 F) heat on Thursday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of stifling
Verb
  • Still, the company says that isn't stopping them from burying miles of line across the state.
    — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Some say that this is partly because both miners and coal companies deliberately hid these figures, secretly burying their dead in the mountains, so as not to show weakness to the enemy.
    — Elijah TanAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of burying
Adjective
  • The trope, fair or not, has often overshadowed the fact that science fiction and horror are absolutely perfect bedfellows, with outer space's total isolation, tiny quarters, and oppressive vastness perfectly suited for the horror genre.
    — Matthew Razak, Space.com, 26 July 2026
  • Crews are working nonstop to meet Mayor Karen Bass’ mid-August deadline to clear out 85 million pounds of food that continues to rot in oppressive heat.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of oppressive
Verb
  • Blackwell was charged with strangulation and simple assault after allegedly grabbing his girlfriend by her wrist and choking her on April 4, according to the criminal complaint.
    — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • There are dozens more fires burning across the state, choking the air in Oregon and sending smoke across the country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of choking
Verb
  • Jokes about Modi were rare during earlier protests, when his government was criticized for suppressing dissent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The idea is to enable riders to accelerate earlier and utilize more of the motorcycle’s capabilities when traction gets erratic rather than just suppressing wheelspin.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • The release came as Ariana dropped her eighth studio album Petal, which explores themes of overcoming negativity and personal growth, on Friday, July 31.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of overcoming their fatal flaw and defeating their shadow-self, the titular Eternals are reckoning with their relationship to God and the grand arc of human history.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcoming

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Cite this Entry

“Smothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothering. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on smothering

Nglish: Translation of smothering for Spanish Speakers

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