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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 developments further strain Saudi Arabia's effort to get its oil to market while avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point at the mouth of the Persian Gulf where Iranian attacks have stifled shipping. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 The East-West Pipeline, which runs across the kingdom, is key to Saudi Arabia's strategy of shifting its oil exports to the Red Sea to avoid the Persian Gulf's Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have stifled shipping. — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026 Las Vegas fielded the NFL’s worst offensive line a season ago, allowing a league-high 64 sacks, which stifled its passing attack. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 This attempt by Israel to muzzle hope and stifle joy keeps repeating itself in all aspects of Palestinian life. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 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
  • His arrest report also states that Hunter strangled the woman with his knee while pinning her to the floor.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • After fatally strangling the children, Clancy attempted suicide by cutting her wrists and jumping out of a second-story window.
    — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of strangle
Verb
  • Other immune-suppressing medicines for serious systemic disease can include CellCept (mycophenolate), Azasan (azathioprine), or cyclophosphamide.
    — Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026
  • GLP-1s suppress appetite, which can be too effective in some patients.
    — Korin Miller, Allure, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • After two hours of practice, with the 10-foot-tall fences doing little to muffle the bullhorn orders and corresponding groans, the huddle broke and the personalities sprung to life.
    — Noah White, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The generational distance that has muffled the pain of 2001 is also seen in California’s varied educational approach.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of muffle
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Chief among them is the war in Iran, which analysts view as a stalemate that has choked major maritime arteries for oil and gas.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • The play was blown up by Ojomo, who spun off the block of Washington center Nick Allegretti and swallowed Bates behind the line of scrimmage.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • The thought of Margaret trapped in the skyscraper, swallowed up by flames and heat, is an overwhelming load for a mother to carry.
    — Nicole Avery Nichols, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of swallow
Verb
  • The Prepared Hero Fire Blanket is designed to help smother small fires by cutting off their oxygen supply and comes in a ready-to-hang pouch for easy access.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Trojans posted their first shutout since 2024, smothering the Bulldogs with two safeties, four sacks and long stretches without yielding a yard, first down or rhythm.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of smother
Verb
  • Season 3 sees Gordon and Ashley once again reexamining their relationship, now with the wearied caution of a couple who’ve hurt each other — and the reckless affection that can’t be repressed without losing a crucial part of your soul.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Tottenham, repressed for so long in their spending and ambition, are suddenly flashing the cash like a slot machine, dropping £237million ($324m) already.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of repress
Verb
  • There, on the Gila National Forest, massive wildfires have suffocated mountain streams with ash, requiring major restoration projects.
    — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Hossain and her collaborators have conjured an internalized hellscape marked by sensual photography, gnarly cyst makeup, and suffocating matrimonial rituals involving turmeric and milk — all redolent with upper-class heteronormative rot.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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