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 Opponents claim the bill will help Live Nation stifle competitors in the resale market and raise prices, according to reporting by CalMatters. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Raman asserted that there have been only three Inside Safe operations in her district and that her committee has been stifled by inaction from the mayor. — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Hierarchies, marked by upward reporting and limited horizontal interaction, often stifle innovation and prioritize control for short-term profit. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Many of those who died were elderly, often alone, in a stifling house or apartment. — Scott Simon, NPR, 8 Aug. 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
  • Clancy, 36, is on trial for strangling her three children at their Massachusetts home in January 2023 before attempting suicide.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • An autopsy later determined that JonBenét had been strangled to death and suffered a severe head injury.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of strangle
Verb
  • Ukraine's air force said Russian forces launched several missiles and 106 drones into the country in its latest barrage, of which three missiles and 85 drones were shot down or otherwise suppressed.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Mulch also helps suppress weeds and dissuades strawberry pests like slugs.
    — Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Buell tried to muffle the sound by putting her hands over her ears.
    — Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Now the sound was muffled from the hunters as the dogs passed around a canebrake wall bordered by a dark bayou.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of muffle
Verb
  • There were flakes of gray ash on the rocks, and the choking stink of wet soot.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Keeping your registers from getting choked with dust also allows air to flow freely into your home.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • When platforms extract money from those with the least to lose, the immediate tax windfall for the state is swallowed by the long-term public burden.
    — Brianne Doura-Schawohl, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Those include numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips, trouble walking, talking or swallowing, sometimes weakness in the upper or lower extremity, balance issues or struggles with episodic memory.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of swallow
Verb
  • Glazed baby back ribs, satisfyingly sticky and spiced with gochujang, come smothered with melting mozzarella for crazy long cheese pulls on Chicago-style, falling-off-the-bone pork.
    — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors say Sneed used a blue-and-white pillow to smother Melodi, her niece, while others slept.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of smother
Verb
  • And Washington’s campaign against terrorism encouraged its allies to embrace intrusive forms of surveillance and repress potential opposition in the name of security.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The chart surge comes after Bring Me the Horizon’s early catalog was recently repressed and reissued on vinyl as part of the band’s anniversary celebration surrounding two decades of Count Your Blessings.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of repress
Verb
  • The Hoosiers’ conference schedule is tough but not suffocating.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Together, these effects have set the stage for the fierce summers, destructive wildfires, and suffocating heat domes that now threaten Europe’s health, culture, and economy.
    — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of stifle for Spanish Speakers

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