stifle

verb

ˈstī-fəl How to pronounce stifle (audio)
Definition of stiflenext
1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air unfortunately, the robbers were stifled when they got trapped in the airless bank vault

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering stifled a yawn

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to muffle
to deaden the sound of he stifled a cough with his hand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stifle The president and his allies, many of whom hail from Silicon Valley’s tech circles, have insisted that legislation will stifle America’s economy and the AI industry. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 8 Nov. 2026 After Nacua gave the Rams a 20-13 lead, Garrett got his third sack just before the two-minute warning, stifling a Commanders comeback. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026 But while security forces on the ground have largely managed to stifle any violence, Macron has been criticized for failing to adequately respond to the protesters’ demands. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026 Like many Jewish sites across Eastern Europe, where the Nazis’ annihilation was followed by decades of Soviet rule that stifled Jewish memory and communal life, the school’s history had been buried. — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
  1. strangle
  2. suppress
  3. muffle
  4. choke
  5. swallow
  6. smother
  7. repress
  8. suffocate
Verb
  • The charges allege that Watford struck the woman several times before strangling her with his hands and arm following a dispute inside the room.
    — Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Her husband, Mike MacIvor, was tied up, blindfolded, and strangled.
    — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of strangle
Verb
  • The coating could also generate plasma, an energised gas that produces reactive molecules known to suppress bacterial growth.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
  • And the other, Loreen Willenburg, a Californian woman, kept the virus at bay for more than three decades without treatment — even while receiving immune-suppressing treatment for lung and brain cancer.
    — Diana Kwon, Vox, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Scooter jockeys zip through crowds with the music in their ears muffling pedestrians’ protests.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The sullen tribute to Payne settled the room into a cool near-silence, punctured by quiet gasps and muffled crying.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of muffle
Verb
  • Allan himself was visibly overcome with emotion through much of the brief news conference, his voice at times choking with pain.
    — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
  • If someone is choking and first aid measures fail to dislodge the obstruction, call 911, the agency said.
    — Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • Some retailers, meanwhile, chose to swallow some of the additional tax rather than pass it to shoppers in the form of higher prices, Milesi-Ferretti added.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs will someday be absorbed by the pack, their lead position in the SEC swallowed up by Florida, South Carolina and their ilk as the transfer portal and name, image and likeness payments continue to level the playing field.
    — KEN SUGIURA, AJC.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of swallow
Verb
  • That levity is something Great Jobs could use more of; the mood can occasionally be so smothering as to descend into mild sterility.
    — Lisle Younger, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The fabulous Scope visual palette is still there but adding the IMAX brand turns out to complement it rather than smother it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of smother
Verb
  • Historical accuracy be damned, the show presents Mary as a wannabe star repressed by her closeted husband.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But overall, no matter what happens in the elections, Israel will continue to repress the Palestinians and strike its enemies.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of repress
Verb
  • The Vikings seem to be a consistent quarterback away from a true run to the Super Bowl given their defense, led by coordinator Brian Flores, has been one of the most suffocating units in the league thus far.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The remaining eight victims, all children, were suffocated, strangled or beaten to death.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of suffocate

Browse Nearby Words

stiffs
stifle
stifled
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Cite this Entry

“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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