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
Or to send any kind of message that stifles his defining disposition.
—
Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
The judge found that Google has been engaging in behavior that stifles competition to the detriment of online publishers that depend on the system for revenue.
—Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Trump silencing free speech stifles our democracy.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
This cycle of reactionary leadership not only stifles innovation but also erodes trust and morale within organizations.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In the TikTok video, Ella lies with her arms at her sides and stifles a giggle.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Critics say the legislation stifles academic freedoms, strips faculty of due process rights and injects politics into curriculum decisions, possibly threatening programs such as those teaching issues around race and equality.
—Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
The judge found that Google has been engaging in behavior that stifles competition to the detriment of online publishers that depend on the system for revenue.
—Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Trump silencing free speech stifles our democracy.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
This cycle of reactionary leadership not only stifles innovation but also erodes trust and morale within organizations.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In the TikTok video, Ella lies with her arms at her sides and stifles a giggle.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Critics say the legislation stifles academic freedoms, strips faculty of due process rights and injects politics into curriculum decisions, possibly threatening programs such as those teaching issues around race and equality.
—Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifles
Verb
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What worked at ten employees strangles progress at one hundred.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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At that point, both Hsiao-Lee’s life and our perspective open up toward something more hopeful, even if plenty of turmoil — including another unbearable scene in which Chiang nearly strangles Chuan to death — continues back home.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Higher rates reduce investment, spending, and economic activity, which naturally suppresses hiring.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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The reason for this striking look is the inhibitor gene which suppresses pigment deposition at the base of the hair shaft, giving the cat the shimmering effect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even the woman Larry falls for, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), isn't immune to the animal's evil charms, and the creature nearly chokes the life out of her in one scene.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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Hybrid-resilient architecture—local backups that can kick in like muscle memory when the cloud chokes.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Taroko Gorge, however, carves breathtaking grandeur from marble stone; a natural cathedral of cliffs, where suspension bridges sway above rapids and swallows dart through narrow canyons.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Neurocysticercosis occurs after a person swallows pork tapeworm eggs, according to the CDC.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That timing hasn’t been lost on the festival’s critics, who say the high-profile American comics are lending legitimacy to a government that represses dissent, jails activists and restricts free speech.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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But outside of the ring, Christy hides and represses her lesbianism and winds up marrying her trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster), who manipulates and physically abuses her.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just like particles behave differently when observed, your business suffocates under micromanagement.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Rather than conjuring a mood of bracing inexorability, this linear focus only suffocates what might be an interesting debate, as a man of the modern world weighs his values against those of a woman raised in atavistic isolation.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stifles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifles. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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