as in suppressed
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1
as in strangled
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in swallowed
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in muffled
to deaden the sound of
he stifled a cough with his hand
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Recent Examples of stifled
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Embarrassed in the first period, stifled in the second, the Avs did something that almost never happens in this town with this team.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
The Vikings are always well coached under Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who has often stifled Shanahan offenses with his creative blitzes and disguised coverages.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Redick added that part of what Holmgren has done, overhelping on defense and forcing Ayton toward the perimeter, has stifled the 7-footer’s production.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Stoner refuses to let his passion for literature be stifled.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Wednesday was the second time in as many starts that Eovaldi stifled the Yankees.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
Over the past several postseasons, more physicality has been allowed, which has stifled some offenses.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
Padilla’s physical comedy shifted the sketch into a different stratosphere; Marshall and Rodrigo barely stifled their laughter as Beverly tried to wrestle the cardigan onto Duncan’s chest.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Adjective
While unfolding the investigation, Guiraudie also finds the town seething with stifled lust that’s ready to burst out volcanically—and that’s inseparable from the natural mystery and wonder of country life.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Verb
And while the state has seen strong GDP growth in recent months, business groups still worry that this economic success could be stifled by limited job growth and economic uncertainty in the wake of federal policy changes.
—P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Embarrassed in the first period, stifled in the second, the Avs did something that almost never happens in this town with this team.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
The Vikings are always well coached under Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who has often stifled Shanahan offenses with his creative blitzes and disguised coverages.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Redick added that part of what Holmgren has done, overhelping on defense and forcing Ayton toward the perimeter, has stifled the 7-footer’s production.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Stoner refuses to let his passion for literature be stifled.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Wednesday was the second time in as many starts that Eovaldi stifled the Yankees.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
Over the past several postseasons, more physicality has been allowed, which has stifled some offenses.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
Padilla’s physical comedy shifted the sketch into a different stratosphere; Marshall and Rodrigo barely stifled their laughter as Beverly tried to wrestle the cardigan onto Duncan’s chest.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifled
Adjective
-
General Manager Ken Holland hinted at potentially being done after trading center Phillip Danault for a draft pick in December and acquiring Panarin at a suppressed price in February, though he has been known to under-promise often and, sometimes, over-deliver.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Supervising sound editor Alastair Sirkett told IndieWire that Peter Claffey’s big, former-rugby-player frame really helps that moment sing with suppressed panic.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Martin, a former county transit worker, beat, strangled and raped the woman after offering her a ride, prosecutor say.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
-
Just as with Weaver, Vesey was bound with electrical cords before she was raped and strangled, the papers state.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Then Doris and her family are sent off on the train, swallowed whole by the Holocaust.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Even the celebrity CEOs building our AI future have been swallowed by forces bigger than themselves.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Everything feels muffled, with such heavy carpeting.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Their replies are muffled by their hands blocking their mouths.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And, in the aftermath of a stomach-churning stick-up that twisted my guts with the queasy horror of a repressed memory, Gary is given a week to make the problem go away.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
Amid the early-spring lightness of the filmmaking, Fukada values softly plainspoken earnestness of emotion, as his repressed, recessive characters learn to listen to their own impulses in the general stillness that surrounds them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The Strait of Hormuz remains choked.—
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
The woman said she was beaten and choked for hours.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
In the final seconds of the first period, a restless Honda Center crowd that had been muted let out some audible boos.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Despite its severity, the overall impact of the disease in the Americas has remained muted for two main reasons.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
When monitoring wanes and enforcement fades, workers pay the price first in wages and safety, then in silenced voices and must choose between an empty stomach and their rights.—
Tharo Khun,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifled. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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