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
John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Fisherman and former drug addict Dave has lived his whole life there, equally stifled and saved by his surroundings.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
But rather than breathing a little more life into a group that had begun playing with an already pretty good pulse, his presence mystifyingly stifled it.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026
The future Hall of Famer had been successfully stifled in the second half of Monday’s game, with the Lakers double-teaming him into five turnovers and just two points.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026
Two changes in particular stifled condo construction.
—M. Nolan Gray, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Edwards scored 34 points, but no one else tallied more than 14 as the Timberwolves’ half-court offense was stifled all afternoon.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026
Nauset continued to press, outshooting Medfield, 39-24, in the contest, but Slesar and the defensive core was stifled any further chances.
—Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
The Texans were stifled all night, turning the ball over 26 times.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 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
While there is no law in Connecticut explicitly prohibiting the use of plug-in panels, also known as balcony solar, the need for interconnection agreements with local utilities and a lack of clear regulations has effectively stifled their widespread adoption, experts say.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Fisherman and former drug addict Dave has lived his whole life there, equally stifled and saved by his surroundings.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
But rather than breathing a little more life into a group that had begun playing with an already pretty good pulse, his presence mystifyingly stifled it.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026
The future Hall of Famer had been successfully stifled in the second half of Monday’s game, with the Lakers double-teaming him into five turnovers and just two points.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026
Two changes in particular stifled condo construction.
—M. Nolan Gray, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Edwards scored 34 points, but no one else tallied more than 14 as the Timberwolves’ half-court offense was stifled all afternoon.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026
Nauset continued to press, outshooting Medfield, 39-24, in the contest, but Slesar and the defensive core was stifled any further chances.
—Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
The Texans were stifled all night, turning the ball over 26 times.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifled
Adjective
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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
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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
-
That’s a dynamic that strangled the labor market.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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As of March 23, 2026, the global energy market is no longer governed by the invisible hand of economics; it is being strangled by the rigid, non-negotiable laws of engineering.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Aden alone, the count is in the hundreds — most of them swallowed by a secret prison network managed by the UAE and its affiliated forces, where torture, beatings and abuse were common, according to the Yemeni government, human rights organizations and the United Nations.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Another recall targeted Sunnyyes LED mini lights, which were sold on Amazon between March 2024 and March 2026, and contain coin batteries that can be easily accessed and then potentially swallowed.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their calls are often muffled by static and wind because his cousin uses two phones to conduct them — one to call Fattahi and the other to reach his mother.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The sound of a backstage vocal warmup was muffled by thick stage curtains.—
Melanie Asmar,
Denver Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Tel Aviv, Israel — Undermining this moment of relief for many repressed Iranians is that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a perilously simple fix to a very complex problem.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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And that probably comes from seeing women in my life who have been so repressed that the eyes become their only real means of communication.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The woman told officers during an argument, Dickson pushed her into a dresser, choked her and slammed her head into the wall.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Manning allegedly punched and kicked Hartman in the face and torso, scratched her, choked her and grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the floor and wall.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The findings reveal a lot of variance by sector, and muted total job growth.—
Bob Herman,
STAT,
30 Mar. 2026
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The mathematics community’s response to Gauss’s formalization has been muted, however, partly because the project did not unfold as many experts had hoped.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 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 4 Apr. 2026.
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