1
as in strangles
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifles
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 buries
to defeat by a large margin
the soccer team smothered their first few opponents in the championships, but lost narrowly in the final round
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smothers
Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2025
If either smothers the grass for long periods, this can compact soil and lead to mold problems.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2025
Prior to his own arrest and incarceration, Rick then smothers Martin to death in the hospital to spare him from witnessing the downfall of his son and destruction of his legacy.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
Complexity smothers everything, like Japanese knotweed.
—Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2025
If either smothers the grass for long periods, this can compact soil and lead to mold problems.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2025
Prior to his own arrest and incarceration, Rick then smothers Martin to death in the hospital to spare him from witnessing the downfall of his son and destruction of his legacy.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothers
Verb
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Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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What starts as an innocent father/daughter college visit takes a shocking turn when Tony brutally strangles a Mob turncoat.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Dec. 2025
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Over-regulation stifles American growth and aids China in this crucial race for global strength.—
Samuel Field,
Boston Herald,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There is no dignity, and no justice, in a system that buries an elderly woman alive in silence.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
This buries the block into the sand.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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Even the woman Larry falls for, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), isn't immune to the animal's evil charms, and the creature nearly chokes the life out of her in one scene.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When enforcement actions sweep through a community, fear suppresses economic activity almost overnight.—
Anabel Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
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Plus, the blue light our devices emit suppresses melatonin, the hormone connected to sleep regulation.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Quick and direct, this young adult novel in verse about a closeted Black boy who overcomes fear and shame through the power of poetry reads almost like a journal entry.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Inflatable module overcomes launch constraints Orbital platforms are typically constrained by limitations related to the launch vehicle.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Silence starves relevance; invisibility suffocates status.—
Rob Shuter,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
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But for this to work, these supercities must have freedom from the bureaucratic maze that suffocates current development.—
Zoltan Istvan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Every wildfire that takes down a transmission line, every flood that swallows a road, every heatwave that makes a solar farm falter all slow the very systems meant to replace fossil fuels.—
Natalie Unterstell,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Taroko Gorge, however, carves breathtaking grandeur from marble stone; a natural cathedral of cliffs, where suspension bridges sway above rapids and swallows dart through narrow canyons.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothers. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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