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
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
His paralysis stifles his ability to work more, and to stay in his CMHA unit, his income must remain between 30%-60% of the area median income, which is between $21,575 and $43,151.
—Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
Lean also refuted claims that bipolar disorder stifles creativity.
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
Or to send any kind of message that stifles his defining disposition.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
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
His paralysis stifles his ability to work more, and to stay in his CMHA unit, his income must remain between 30%-60% of the area median income, which is between $21,575 and $43,151.
—Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
Lean also refuted claims that bipolar disorder stifles creativity.
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
Or to send any kind of message that stifles his defining disposition.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifles
Verb
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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
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What starts as an innocent father/daughter college visit takes a shocking turn when Tony brutally strangles a Mob turncoat.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This reduces carbon reactivity and suppresses side reactions during high-voltage cycling.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The brief court appearance focused on extending a gag order that suppresses the identities of victims and survivors of the attack who have not chosen to identify themselves publicly.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 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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Their inclusion on the recent flight comes as the United States chokes the nation’s oil supplies in a bid for negotiations that could end up in regime change, sparking questions about whether Cuba will take more deportations to ease the political and economic pressure.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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This determines whether Precinct 4 thrives or chokes on its own growth.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Straining at a gnat, the majority swallows a camel.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
12 Feb. 2026
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Because of that, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a pill that confirms when someone swallows it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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South Grand Prairie smothers Richardson to move on South Grand Prairie got 19 points from Janae Johnson to lead the Warriors to a 41-26 drubbing of Richardson in a Class 6A Division I bi-district game on Monday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Feb. 2026
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The filmmaker leans pop-comic rather than petrifying in his final draft, opting for earnestness that smothers atmospheric dread.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 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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Complexity is exactly what suffocates scale.—
May Habib,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Both novel and opera include a scene in which Salvador Dalí almost suffocates after getting his head stuck in a scuba helmet at an art opening.—
Emma Allen,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifles. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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