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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2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
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Recent Examples of stifle
Despite playing only 28 minutes in the blowout, the Pacers’ All-Star faced stifling team defense, as Indiana shot just 40.5% (30-for-74) from the field as a team.
—
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
Rather than stifling this discussion with a costly and pointless legal challenge, the mayor should let the debate continue and the votes be cast.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2025
The ruling also stifles Trump’s directive to move student loans and programs for students with disabilities outside the Department of Education.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 22 May 2025
This approach, while designed for mass instruction, often stifles the very curiosity that makes learning exciting.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
Rather than stifling this discussion with a costly and pointless legal challenge, the mayor should let the debate continue and the votes be cast.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2025
The ruling also stifles Trump’s directive to move student loans and programs for students with disabilities outside the Department of Education.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 22 May 2025
This approach, while designed for mass instruction, often stifles the very curiosity that makes learning exciting.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Verb
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Prosecutors say that in December 2024, Tyler strangled Bruno to death at the dog’s New Rochelle home.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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The man then strangled the dog, injuring its neck and throat, officials said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
Verb
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In his motion to dismiss Bragg’s case, Mangione’s lawyers argued his statements to officers after his arrest should be suppressed because he wasn’t informed of his rights, which the DA’s office contests.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
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Young men might be more likely to suppress emotional expression, engage in risk-taking behavior, or use substances to cope with grief.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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As of February, staffers from DOGE had pushed top-ranking officials at the Department of Education out of their offices, rearranged the furniture and set up white noise machines to muffle their voices, according to employees at the agency.—
Lora Kolodny,Ari Levy,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
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Congressional push-back is inevitable, but the promise of tens of thousands of U.S. jobs can muffle many speeches.—
Guney Yildiz,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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On Monday, Jane gave harrowing testimony about a night in June 2024 when Combs allegedly choked, punched and kicked her in a rage.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2025
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Various items were pulled from shelves back in March, ranging from fears that teething sticks could be a choking hazard to concerns about the particular batteries in a microphone potentially overheating and igniting.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
Verb
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The applause the crowd gave Yim was swallowed up by the cathedral’s size and our sparse numbers, but she was visibly moved.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
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Don't swallow water when swimming in pools, lakes, or other water areas.—
Janelle McSwiggin,
Health,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The breakfast burrito, smothered in both red and green chile, could cure anything.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
5 June 2025
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The algae is especially harmful to mangroves, which serve as nursery habitats, and can smother sea grasses and coral reefs, Lapointe said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Benny’s presented as an overachieving sponge, absorbing contradictory messages about how he is supposed to live in society from both masc frat culture, which tells him to repress, and the relatively more progressive music and films he’s become obsessed with, which tell him to, uh, slay.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
15 May 2025
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Autocrats use such measures to speed power consolidation, repress protests and demonstrate force to the world.—
Mandy Taheri,
Newsweek,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The brown prickly algae is suffocating shorelines from Puerto Rico to Guyana and beyond, disrupting tourism, killing wildlife, and even releasing toxic gases that forced one school in the French Caribbean island of Martinique to temporarily close.—
Danica Coto,
Christian Science Monitor,
4 June 2025
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The Thunder’s defense has been suffocating all postseason, minus a couple of blips in the conference finals.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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