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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in close
lacking fresh air
the lecture hall was stifling until we opened several windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suppressing
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in muffling
to deaden the sound of
he stifled a cough with his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stifle
Ben Paviour, New York Times, 19 May 2025
It’s made from a wrinkle-free blend of polyester and spandex that packs down with ease and is wearable straight from your suitcase, plus its skin-skimming shape won’t feel stifling on even the hottest days.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2025
Hanna Trudo, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2025
Oregon, on the other hand, struggled to sustain drives, scoring only once before the half and failing to get much going against Ohio State’s stifling defense.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Verb
Image Last year, a public records request revealed that Mr. Kilgore had called an official in a neighboring county in an attempt to stifle criticism of the project.
—Ben Paviour, New York Times, 19 May 2025
It’s made from a wrinkle-free blend of polyester and spandex that packs down with ease and is wearable straight from your suitcase, plus its skin-skimming shape won’t feel stifling on even the hottest days.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2025
Verb
Some are now fearful Republicans are beginning to try to weaponize that small-dollar model against them, further stifling their ascent.
—Hanna Trudo, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2025
Oregon, on the other hand, struggled to sustain drives, scoring only once before the half and failing to get much going against Ohio State’s stifling defense.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Adjective
-
Among the close friends and family celebrating were Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
24 May 2025
-
After the close, discount retailer Miniso Group (9896 HK, MSO US) missed Q1 estimates while online travel agency Tongcheng (780 HK) beat analyst expectations for Q1.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
But Finch was unable to come up with any schematic answers for OKC’s suffocating defense or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ruthlessness on offense.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
The stiff feel, plus the suffocating heat of summer in NYC, is a recipe for disaster.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
While many fragrance houses feel unapproachable—too old, too stuffy, too expensive—Tom Ford’s have a personableness to them.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
30 May 2025
-
Then again, the same could be said for all of MLB, which is considered stuffier than the NFL and NBA.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Moore sprinted down the field in celebration of his game-saving play with 29 seconds left that gave UCLA an unexpectedly breathless 27-20 victory.—
Ben Bolch,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Nov. 2024
-
Jerry Coyne has a post up which critiques an extremely breathless review of a new book, Epigenetics Revolution.—
Razib Khan,
Discover Magazine,
24 Aug. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share