as in suffocating
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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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Recent Examples of smothering
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 May 2026
More recently, massive desalination plants, which often double as electric power plants, have been dumping hot brine that rapidly sinks, smothering life at the Gulf’s bottom, Riegl says.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Plants grow rapidly in spring, smothering weeds and feeding the soil.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota’s two best defenders, paved the way in the first round by smothering Denver’s vaunted tandem of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026
Though Edwards and DiVincenzo are their two best 3-point shooters and offensive creators, a revival of the smothering defense that fueled the rally in Game 2 and blowout wins in Games 3 and 4 will be the biggest key to the Timberwolves taking the series.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
But now they got broken into six smothering rooms, or ten, or maybe a dozen.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Wallstedt polished off the first Stars' power play by snapping his glove around Mikko Rantanen's shot and smothering Esa Lindell's bad-angle attempt.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Burton shared this adorable flick of Morgan smothering their firstborn in kisses.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
There’s probably a smart, chilling film to be made about the terrors of smothering and relentless adoration — one imagines what Rod Serling would have done with something like this — but this isn’t really that film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 May 2026
More recently, massive desalination plants, which often double as electric power plants, have been dumping hot brine that rapidly sinks, smothering life at the Gulf’s bottom, Riegl says.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Plants grow rapidly in spring, smothering weeds and feeding the soil.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota’s two best defenders, paved the way in the first round by smothering Denver’s vaunted tandem of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026
Though Edwards and DiVincenzo are their two best 3-point shooters and offensive creators, a revival of the smothering defense that fueled the rally in Game 2 and blowout wins in Games 3 and 4 will be the biggest key to the Timberwolves taking the series.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
But now they got broken into six smothering rooms, or ten, or maybe a dozen.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Wallstedt polished off the first Stars' power play by snapping his glove around Mikko Rantanen's shot and smothering Esa Lindell's bad-angle attempt.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Burton shared this adorable flick of Morgan smothering their firstborn in kisses.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothering
Adjective
-
Georgia will surely be ready and focused on its home floor following two consecutive losses, but Bucky Ball and its suffocating style from a fresh A&M team will be too much for the Bulldogs.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Luis Benitez-Gonzalez, a 26-year-old previously deported Mexican national, is accused of strangling two women in the area of Austin, Texas, in 2018 and 2024.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Gaff allegedly assaulted and raped Vesey before fatally strangling her.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Birds eat and digest the seeds, then the plant grows in dense stands and blocks sunlight from reaching other young plants, overcrowding or stifling other species.—
Sarah Everett,
The Spruce,
11 May 2026
-
Before Sunday’s game, the Charge had struggled to generate a ton of offense in general against a stifling Boston defense.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Young lettuce, kale, or broccoli plants should be planted so the root ball is level with the soil surface or just below; burying the stem or the crown too deeply can lead to rotting.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
15 May 2026
-
Following his return to the dugout, cameras caught him slamming a bat into his helmet before burying his face in his hands and shouting.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond its pleasures as a noir, the chronicle of Kolechko’s fight against nascent Soviet power easily reminds one of present-day Ukraine’s struggle to preserve its dignity in the face of oppressive forces.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
But the sweltering, sticky, oppressive facepalm of summer doesn’t make the other seasons more palatable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The audio recording captured the sounds of the ensuing attack, including banging, screaming, crying and choking.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
The mom of four explained that her children were eating dinner when the pre-teen started choking on a piece of food.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Their basic antitrust allegation was that NCAA member schools fixed prices by limiting the number of slots for coach employees, thus suppressing opportunities and wages.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 May 2026
-
Renovations of the House chamber will force members to meet at the Old State Capitol, where, decades ago, Mississippi lawmakers passed Jim Crow laws suppressing Black voting.—
Jack Brook,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The Louisiana native told me that overcoming his native cuisine was half the battle in that redshirt year.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The biggest obstacle was overcoming low expectations.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothering. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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