smothering 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of smotheringnext
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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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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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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Thesaurus Entries Near smothering

smothered

smothering

smothers

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Cite this Entry

“Smothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothering. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023.

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More from Merriam-Webster on smothering

Nglish: Translation of smothering for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of smothering for Arabic Speakers

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