as in close
lacking fresh air
the lecture hall was stifling until we opened several windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in strangling
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 suppressing
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in muffling
to deaden the sound of
he stifled a cough with his hand
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stifling
Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Her mother, who had a staid upbringing in California, came to New York in the early sixties looking for someplace more diverse and less stifling.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
The favourites for the tournament include Spain, France, Argentina and, yes, England; but much will depend on how well squads adapt to the stifling heat, games at high altitude, and having to play across four different time zones.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 13 June 2026
The knockout stage is where the stakes get higher and the pressure becomes stifling.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Op-eds have painted the president’s reverence for traditional design as mere nostalgia that will lead, inevitably, to pastiche and derivative mimicry while stifling innovation.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
The issues stifling any boost in consumer comfort with AVs are clear, according to the study.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Some polyester pants are known to trap warmth and become stifling, but these come in a special thin version for summer.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
How to analyze a poetics of irreverence and improvisation—of life experienced in a perpetual present—without stifling precisely these qualities?
—Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Players from the top European teams, like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, had already played sixty matches during their regular seasons, before taking to pitches in heat-dome temperatures of ninety-seven degrees and stifling humidity.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Adjective
For all the deserved talk about the Knicks’ dynamic offense, the defense has been far more stifling than their reputation suggests.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Her mother, who had a staid upbringing in California, came to New York in the early sixties looking for someplace more diverse and less stifling.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
On the flip side, boosting Fox content while stifling everything else could be bad for overall engagement in the long run.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
The favourites for the tournament include Spain, France, Argentina and, yes, England; but much will depend on how well squads adapt to the stifling heat, games at high altitude, and having to play across four different time zones.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 13 June 2026
The knockout stage is where the stakes get higher and the pressure becomes stifling.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Op-eds have painted the president’s reverence for traditional design as mere nostalgia that will lead, inevitably, to pastiche and derivative mimicry while stifling innovation.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
The issues stifling any boost in consumer comfort with AVs are clear, according to the study.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Some polyester pants are known to trap warmth and become stifling, but these come in a special thin version for summer.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
How to analyze a poetics of irreverence and improvisation—of life experienced in a perpetual present—without stifling precisely these qualities?
—Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Players from the top European teams, like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, had already played sixty matches during their regular seasons, before taking to pitches in heat-dome temperatures of ninety-seven degrees and stifling humidity.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifling
Adjective
-
There wasn’t much excitement in the building, despite the fact that the game was close until the end.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
He's remained close with the Solari family and has taken Teo Solari under his wing.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
He had been arrested for allegedly strangling his then-girlfriend, Johnny Faye Cartwright, in 2020.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
Gas prices have jumped by well over a dollar a gallon since the war began, strangling shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical pathway for much of the world's oil supply.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
10 June 2026
Verb
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But the country’s key tool for suppressing the pest — a facility that breeds sterile flies to halt reproduction of the parasite — isn’t slated to begin operating until November 2027.—
Ilena Peng,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
The health care provider would then diagnose a player with Parkinson’s and, usually, issue a prescription for levodopa, a medicine that treats Parkinson’s by masking or suppressing symptoms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The sound-muffling fabrics, carpets, ceiling tiles, tablecloths and rugs that used to decorate restaurants are deemed too stuffy these days, and even upholstered booths are being replaced by more barebones tables — and lots of them, close together.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
-
Their flexible design fits snugly into ears, muffling plane engine sounds and loud conversations.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The pressure will be completely suffocating and unfair.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
-
Following a first week marked by a suffocating heatwave, relief finally arrived in Paris on Sunday, with temperatures dropping to 21 degrees C (70 F) around midday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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He was also cuffed inside his Bronx home in 2024 after punching a family member in the face and choking them.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
-
Those sharp fragments can cause choking, become lodged in the digestive tract, or even puncture the stomach or intestines.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Brandsema explained that humans are born with one pool of motor neurons for life, and SMA slowly robs individuals of their motor neurons over time, leaving them with difficulty walking or running, holding up their heads, or even swallowing food and liquid safely.—
Ciara McCarthy
June 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
Lacking vegetation to hold the sand in place, the wind pushes it over the top, swallowing trees and anything else in its path.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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But Obama's center projects a younger, hipper, less stuffy vibe than its general ilk.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Ornate Pieces While traditional design will always have a place, certain decorative details now feel a bit stuffy.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifling. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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