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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stifle
The defense is historically stifling.
—
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
While personal fans have been a fashionable accessory since before the Victorian era, the category has been stifled by a lack of innovation for a while.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2026
The bill, which passed with another similar piece of legislation aimed at limiting protests around houses of worship, has drawn concerns about stifling free speech rights, especially for pro-Palestine protests.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies.
—CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
While personal fans have been a fashionable accessory since before the Victorian era, the category has been stifled by a lack of innovation for a while.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2026
The bill, which passed with another similar piece of legislation aimed at limiting protests around houses of worship, has drawn concerns about stifling free speech rights, especially for pro-Palestine protests.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies.
—CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Verb
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Dispatchers told officers that the man who called 911 confessed to strangling his grandmother to death, McCabe said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2026
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This caused an argument to break out between the two, during which McFarlin strangled Divodi-Lessa.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Earlier, Britain suppressed a communist insurgency in Malaya, today part of Malaysia.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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The lawyer noted the statement could be suppressed in court if it was obtained through leading questions, a prolonged interrogation, or coercive tactics.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He’s perched on the second floor above the courtyard, a few bustling parties muffled in the background.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
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Other symptoms include ringing, a sensation like something is stuck in the ears or conversations sounding muffled.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The victims, who died from smoke inhalation, might have made it out of the Belmont building alive if their neighbors had closed their doors and choked the oxygen that fed the massive five-alarm fire on Tuesday afternoon.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
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In November 2025, Biggs was preparing for practice in the locker room when Hebert allegedly approached another teammate and choked him in response to a post on Instagram, according to the lawsuit.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That the Sabres couldn’t live up to the hype this season despite having a top 10 starting goalie performance is a tough pill to swallow.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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And in rain, the muddy dirt roads threaten to swallow your car.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Add Fresh Mulch The final step in refreshing your flower bed is to add a 2-inch layer of fresh organic mulch to help smother out weeds and retain moisture in the soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Rockets are a physical team that also plays smothering defense.—
Broderick Turner
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Under state law, persons named in such a report can ask a judge to repress certain parts, or all, of it.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This was the old Magic — the nasty, physical, suffocating defensive team that made every possession feel like work.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
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Ensure direct contact because these products work by suffocating them, says Harvell.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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