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
  • The fires have since been extinguished, according to officials.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Saudi Energy Ministry said a fire had broken out at dawn at a facility belonging to Saudi Aramco’s refinery in Jazan, that was extinguished by the company’s firefighting teams.
    — Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of extinguish
Verb
  • This new war on poverty seems intent on increasing it, not eradicating it.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Zardari and Sharif also said Pakistan’s fight against terrorism would continue until it is eradicated.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • Some studies show that saffron may potentially help suppress appetite and aid in weight loss, reduce the symptoms of PMS and improve libido.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And the nastiest errors of all, the bit-flips, are suppressed to around one in a million operations.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • The Cubs offense quickly erased the 1-0 deficit behind four consecutive hitters reaching with two outs in the top of the second.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Reading scores of New York City public school students plummeted this past school year, erasing improvements in the subject recorded a year before, sparking calls from the teachers’ union for a change in approach.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • Reading it immediately quells, or at least quelled my own, paranoia at being alone in the middle of the forest—nobody is getting got here, there’s a gate that only opens if the concierge approves of your face, voice, and name.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • There have been several protests by refugees living in Nepal where police have been used to quell them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • Walker-Yeager, who ran on abolishing or significantly reducing residents and seniors’ property tax burdens, historic preservation and increasing the state minimum wage, had 124 votes.
    — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The controversy intensified in June when the region’s Supreme Court ruled the seats are protected under the constitution and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Energy supply disruptions remain a key market concern, with tanker traffic through the strait still subdued, said Lloyd Chan, senior currency analyst at MUFG Bank in Singapore, noting that Brent prices remain way above above pre-conflict levels.
    — Chloe Taylor,Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Across the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters say intense heat in western and central Europe could create ideal wildfire conditions just as firefighters appeared to subdue a raging fire in southern France and Spain.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 10 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All