1
as in strangles
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suppresses
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in muffles
to deaden the sound of
he stifled a cough with his hand
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stifles
Nothing stifles a good time like being stressed about what is going on at home without any way to intervene.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Some parents have no issue monitoring and restricting how kids are using social media, AI chat bots, and even texting apps to keep them safe, while others worry too much oversight is an invasion of privacy and stifles their child's ability to develop independence.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, critics caution that the collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank could form a cartel that stifles innovation while inflating costs.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Avoid heavy garden soil, which compacts easily and stifles bulb growth.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026
Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Over-regulation stifles American growth and aids China in this crucial race for global strength.
—Samuel Field, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
Willa’s attempt to reclaim routine leads her to a school that stifles her curiosity — forcing her to choose between conformity and her own voice.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
Under that traditional system, films are co-financed by sprawling consortiums of studios, broadcasters and publishers, a process critics say stifles creative autonomy and limits profit participation for filmmakers.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Some parents have no issue monitoring and restricting how kids are using social media, AI chat bots, and even texting apps to keep them safe, while others worry too much oversight is an invasion of privacy and stifles their child's ability to develop independence.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, critics caution that the collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank could form a cartel that stifles innovation while inflating costs.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Avoid heavy garden soil, which compacts easily and stifles bulb growth.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026
Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Over-regulation stifles American growth and aids China in this crucial race for global strength.
—Samuel Field, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
Willa’s attempt to reclaim routine leads her to a school that stifles her curiosity — forcing her to choose between conformity and her own voice.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
Under that traditional system, films are co-financed by sprawling consortiums of studios, broadcasters and publishers, a process critics say stifles creative autonomy and limits profit participation for filmmakers.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifles
Verb
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As Grace looks on in horror, her soon-to-be husband strangles Ursula and snaps her neck.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This suppresses competition from other vegetation.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
11 Mar. 2026
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Mulch conserves moisture, improves water retention, suppresses weed growth, insulates and protects rose roots and enriches the soil with organic matter.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Although the snow sometimes muffles the thunder, the lightning can be seen, said meteorologist Grant Gilmore, formerly of WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Like other invasive plants, stinknet chokes native plants and increases fire risk.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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With fuel and freight prices skyrocketing as war chokes the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal is seeing more business than usual.—
Elizabeth González,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That was a major downgrade from his current district, which swallows up right-leaning eastern San Diego County and the conservative pockets of Temecula and Murrieta.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Straining at a gnat, the majority swallows a camel.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The pieces knit together to form a cast iron surface that sheds water, smothers weeds and holds up for a long time.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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On the latter, Bollywood royalty Asha Bhosle, 92, sings in Hindi of setting sail to the other side, but Albarn smothers her beneath heraldic bursts of Disneyfied psych-pop.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The portrait of a woman who represses and conceals a rape struck a chord as the #MeToo movement took off and put Trobisch on the map.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Trying to eliminate one side inevitably represses part of our own nature.—
Richard P. Weigand,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What did work in one of the older movies, though, was the Oxygen Destroyer device, which effectively suffocates the creature.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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Complexity is exactly what suffocates scale.—
May Habib,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifles. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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