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
-
Early in the morning after being out at a bar together, Melton went with some of her friends to Wilson's home, where prosecutors alleged that Wilson strangled Melton in bed.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
An autopsy determined the woman had been strangled and her death was ruled a homicide.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
In our community, the individual is meant to be swallowed by the collective.—
Maria Giesbrecht,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
If swallowed, button cell or coin batteries can cause severe internal chemical burns, serious injuries and death, the agency said.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
7 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
-
There, migrant labor, economic need and repressed desire collide, especially through his uneasy bond with Arvydas, a Czech co-worker whose open homophobia masks darker tensions.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
The gothic genre is well suited to repressed stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
What followed, Lane claimed, was a four-hour altercation in which Wilson choked and stabbed him multiple times in the chest and hand, before throwing him through a pair of sliding glass doors.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
These commuter patterns mean that every weekday, for three hours in the morning and another three hours in the evening, Los Angeles is choked by gridlock.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 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 18 May. 2026.
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