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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in close
lacking fresh air
the lecture hall was stifling until we opened several windows
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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stifle
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The space was stifling in the Louisiana heat, so fans were blowing for everyone inside.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The air was clammy and stifling.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Verb
Between hugs and stifled tears, players walked up to sift through them.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The space was stifling in the Louisiana heat, so fans were blowing for everyone inside.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Cocoa and coffee prices, which have been pushed higher by climate change stifling supply, now face further pressures from tariffs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The air was clammy and stifling.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Adjective
-
Traffic concerns remained a prominent theme of the more than 100 emails the city received in early December, but many people expressed excitement at the prospect of a closer Costco.—
Rose Evans
January 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite his team not needing to throw the football much thanks to a suffocating defensive performance (Trevor Lawrence attempted just 22 passes in Jacksonville's 35-6 win over the Chargers), Meyers still received six targets and produced five catches for 64 yards.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Nov. 2025
-
The Vikings never seemed to know what was coming next during the Chargers’ comprehensive 37-10 victory, unable to contend with Herbert and the offense or solve a suffocating defense that sacked Minnesota quarterback Carson Wentz five times and limited him to only 144 yards passing.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Flu symptoms include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, vomiting, and diarrhea.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
When exposed to mold, some people may experience no symptoms, while others may develop mild reactions such as a stuffy nose, sore throat, or cough.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Intentional or not, Sano Masaya’s voice performance in the lead role is sometimes a bit too breathless and whimsical for the material at hand.—
Kambole Campbell,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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