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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothers
Verb
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At that point, both Hsiao-Lee’s life and our perspective open up toward something more hopeful, even if plenty of turmoil — including another unbearable scene in which Chiang nearly strangles Chuan to death — continues back home.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That fear discourages innovation and stifles opportunity.—
Brad Rencher,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
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In the TikTok video, Ella lies with her arms at her sides and stifles a giggle.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But Isaac catches Thing’s dart, then reattaches Thing to his arm and buries Wednesday alive.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
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The aforementioned eyeball alien buries itself deep into its prey before popping out and skittering along the floor like the world’s loudest spider.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hybrid-resilient architecture—local backups that can kick in like muscle memory when the cloud chokes.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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On the ground, there’s a war of grappling, chokes, and limb breaks, and Oliveira is one of the best to ever fight it.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Amnesty also argues that the ban suppresses expression across the wider pro-Palestinian movement, an assertion that the government rebukes.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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The extent to which AI directly suppresses job growth is difficult to determine, but the perception of instability is real.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Saginaw’s surge overcomes Boswell The Pioneers of Boswell dominated play in the opening half, building a 21-0 lead that looked rock solid behind a persistent defense and an offense balanced with good running and passing.—
Pat Wheeler,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
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The technology overcomes the key trade-off between energy density and charging speed that limited previous lithium-metal battery designs.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just like particles behave differently when observed, your business suffocates under micromanagement.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Rather than conjuring a mood of bracing inexorability, this linear focus only suffocates what might be an interesting debate, as a man of the modern world weighs his values against those of a woman raised in atavistic isolation.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Neurocysticercosis occurs after a person swallows pork tapeworm eggs, according to the CDC.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Smothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothers. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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