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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in swallowed
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
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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
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Minnesota got power play goals from Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek and a shorthanded goal from Matt Boldy, but was stifled defensively much of the night, most notably at even strength.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Professionalism has wrongly shifted from emotional control to emotional suppression, leading to lifeless workplaces, stifled creativity, and poor decision-making.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
But for as stifled as Portola’s shooting was in the fourth, Woodbridge also struggled – connecting on only three field goals.
—Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
The Bruins stifled Nebraska’s shooters, who hit just 38% of their shots and 33% from three, and held the Huskers 24 points below their 85 points per game season average.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The Bruins stifled Nebraska's shooters, who hit just 38% of their shots and 33% from three, and held the Huskers 24 points below their 85 points per game season average.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
But lately teams have stacked the box and stifled the run against Carolina.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
The deal was completed as the Bay Area hotel market battles against a wave of loan defaults, plunging prices and property foreclosures that have stifled purchasing activity and new development.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Jan. 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
Arsenal have recently looked stifled in a way that the creative department of a title-challenging team, high on its own output, should not.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Minnesota got power play goals from Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek and a shorthanded goal from Matt Boldy, but was stifled defensively much of the night, most notably at even strength.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Professionalism has wrongly shifted from emotional control to emotional suppression, leading to lifeless workplaces, stifled creativity, and poor decision-making.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
But for as stifled as Portola’s shooting was in the fourth, Woodbridge also struggled – connecting on only three field goals.
—Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
The Bruins stifled Nebraska’s shooters, who hit just 38% of their shots and 33% from three, and held the Huskers 24 points below their 85 points per game season average.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The Bruins stifled Nebraska's shooters, who hit just 38% of their shots and 33% from three, and held the Huskers 24 points below their 85 points per game season average.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
But lately teams have stacked the box and stifled the run against Carolina.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
The deal was completed as the Bay Area hotel market battles against a wave of loan defaults, plunging prices and property foreclosures that have stifled purchasing activity and new development.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifled
Adjective
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Letting muscles weaken suppressed genes involved in mitochondrial function and energy production in particular, including genes that are essential for muscle endurance and recovery.—
Bonnie Tsui,
The Atlantic,
14 Jan. 2026
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Too long submerged in suppressed grief, Zilpha now came up from its depth like any swimmer stroking toward light and sweet air.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Somewhere along the way, the private jet goes down and everybody dies — in excessively painful ways, as Raimi gleefully shows them being sucked out of the plane and strangled by their own neckties — except for Linda and Bradley.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
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Arrest warrants allege Jones stabbed his grandfather multiple times in the torso and neck and strangled his grandmother, cutting off her airway and blood flow.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The story follows a scuba diver in search of his deceased father’s remains who gets swallowed by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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With tech earnings season kicking into high gear next week, Wall Street will start to get a clearer picture of where particular companies stand in adopting AI or getting swallowed by it.—
Seema Mody,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Highway traffic may have muffled the sound of gunshots.—
Graham Womack
Updated January 15,
Sacbee.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Using context-aware algorithms, this technology can, for example, be used to help distinguish between speech and noise, predict and suppress unwanted clamor in real time, and attempt to clean up speech that is muffled or distorted.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Walters and her lawyers had argued that repressed memories delayed the filing.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Jan. 2026
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The more involved Jana becomes, the more she is forced to confront her past and her repressed memories.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On the day Ujlaky vanished, prosecutors alleged Dickey choked her by wrapping a ligature around her neck before raping her and slashing her throat, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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The petition, which was granted by a federal judge, cites reports alleging that guards at the facility choked and asphyxiated Campos.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Without transparent, timely data, public attention has been muted, and coordination across CPS, the city and community partners has been more difficult than this moment demands.—
Daniel Anello,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Still, sometimes the songs feel like they’re trapped in amber, with emotion muted and songwriting that verges on repetitive.—
Vrinda Jagota,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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 1 Feb. 2026.
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