snuff (out)

verb

Definition of snuff (out)next
1
as in to extinguish
to cause to cease burning snuff out the candle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of the forest fire snuffed out all of the animal life in the immediate area

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force brutally snuffed out the movement for democratic rule

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for snuff (out)
  1. extinguish
  2. eradicate
  3. suppress
  4. erase
  5. quell
  6. abolish
  7. subdue
  8. wipe out
Verb
  • Firefighters are using thermal-imaging drones and deploying additional resources to locate and extinguish the fires, which are in an area that can be difficult to access.
    — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Pyrad works by instantaneously thickening when exposed to fire, forming a char that diminishes heat exposure, extinguishes flames, and decreases the risk of third-degree burns.
    — Derek Rose, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of extinguish
Verb
  • The campaign that originally eradicated screwworm relied on what’s known as the sterile insect technique.
    — Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Stoett argues that if a market is used to encourage removal, the commercial activity should exist because the species needs to be reduced, contained, or eradicated—not because the goal is to establish a sustainable fishery for that species.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • By failing to suppress a Democratic campaign ad about the scandal, the Republican Party is only calling more attention to the misuse of $10 million meant for Florida’s Medicaid program.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Critics say the changes could suppress overseas turnout; volunteers have responded with VoteBnB, matching voters with rides and places to stay near polling stations.
    — Branimir Pipal, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • With an over 2% gain Thursday, Johnson & Johnson has erased all of its post-earnings sell-off.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Keep in mind that removing a search result does not erase the information from the original website.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • Some areas have received enough rain to quell the risk for the rest of the season, while others probably need another soaking.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Trump is waging a campaign in the final moments of the midterm election to quell discontent among farmers, truckers and drivers exhausted by $4 gas and near-record diesel.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • Other New York literati, like Camille Paglia, expressed similar views and endorsed the organization’s goal of abolishing the age of consent.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Book of Revelation tells us, sort of, the Antichrist will abolish financial freedom.
    — David Gibson, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Two nurses helped subdue the actress, who was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The interplay between the vocal harmonies phasing from side to side is clear, though the upper melody sounds subdued during the track's busier sections.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • The two once presented a live demo minutes after a computer cloud crash wiped out their materials, winning anyway after Andreou pitched the product entirely from memory.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 27 June 2026
  • Widespread flooding across Kentucky has left at least four dead Saturday, prompting dozens of rescues after heavy rains wiped out bridges, inundated roads and flooded homes, with more significant rainfall on the way.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Definition of wipe out
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.

Browse Nearby Words

snuffling
snuff (out)
snuffs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snuff (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snuff%20%28out%29. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All