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
In June, he is accused of smothering a 1-month-old kitten with a rag soaked in bleach. — Steven Yablonski, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out during dry spells, smothering parts of nearby Singapore and Malaysia in haze. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 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
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 the children in the basement of her home with exercise bands, Clancy attempted to kill herself by jumping out of the window of her Duxbury home, leaving her paralyzed.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors allege that Lindsay methodically planned the murders by sending her husband to pick up medication and takeout, and then strangling the children with exercise bands at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of strangling
Verb
  • This prompted backlash from critics, who felt that the platforms were stifling free speech or putting their thumb on the scale politically.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The recurring power outages combined with the stifling heat have created collective insomnia on the island as residents struggle to get through the night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of stifling
Verb
  • In Bosnia, people are still identifying and burying their dead 31 years after the Srebrenica massacre.
    — Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • For the three children of the stranger who had returned to seek refuge, fifteen years had passed between the collective joy of independence and the personal tragedy of burying their father in a graveyard already full of their uncles’ memories.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of burying
Adjective
  • This stretch of eastern Long Island has long been a respite for New Yorkers seeking a seaside reprieve from the oppressive heat.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Alongside health advice, state media has repeatedly returned to a familiar propaganda theme — Kim’s willingness to endure the same oppressive weather faced by ordinary North Koreans.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Verb
  • Hazardous smoke spread across both the United States and Canada, choking large cities such as New York.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The friends told investigators that Nunnally grew angry and jealous multiple times that night, at one point choking Evans against the wall until the two friends pulled him off her.
    — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of choking
Verb
  • Mukhopadhyay said the minister’s resignation has made people less fearful of protesting against a government that critics have long accused of suppressing dissent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Saharan Dust Saharan dust is another factor suppressing activity.
    — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • Beyond his fighting career, McGee is celebrated for his inspirational journey of overcoming drug addiction, having been sober for over two decades.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But he’ll best be known for overcoming a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, suffered in 1974.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 10 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 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on smothering

Nglish: Translation of smothering for Spanish Speakers

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