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
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of stifle
Max Bultman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Playing rival McCallum roughly 24 hours after the game was postponed from Friday night due to water issues at the Knights' campus, the Trojans used a stifling second-half defensive effort for a 46-35 win at Burger Center to take a two-game lead in the district standings.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2026
Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2026
Some might find this stifling or claustrophobic, but being forced to live together day by day may also stimulate openness and mutual respect.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Verb
Just two days after the Colorado Avalanche came into Detroit and rolled to a 5-0 win, the Red Wings returned the favor with a stifling defensive performance to win 2-0 in Denver.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Playing rival McCallum roughly 24 hours after the game was postponed from Friday night due to water issues at the Knights' campus, the Trojans used a stifling second-half defensive effort for a 46-35 win at Burger Center to take a two-game lead in the district standings.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Playing rival McCallum roughly 24 hours after the game was postponed from Friday night due to water issues at the Knights' campus, the Trojans used a stifling second-half defensive effort for a 46-35 win at Burger Center to take a two-game lead in the district standings.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2026
Some might find this stifling or claustrophobic, but being forced to live together day by day may also stimulate openness and mutual respect.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Adjective
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Over the years, Grey and Pollan have remained close, often supporting one another through personal and professional milestones.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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The bus depot is two stories beneath the train platform and several blocks from the closest stairway.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Georgia will surely be ready and focused on its home floor following two consecutive losses, but Bucky Ball and its suffocating style from a fresh A&M team will be too much for the Bulldogs.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
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Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some more civilized tenants, the sweet but stuffy textile heir Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) and his sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), move into the estate next door.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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And who shall arrive to shake him out of his stuffy ways?—
New York Times,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Casting two of the most smoldering contemporary actors on the planet clearly stacks the deck, and carries on the long tradition of pairing a dashing figure of brooding handsomeness (Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes) with a breathless screen beauty (Merle Oberon, Juliette Binoche).—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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This slow, visible retreat of ice colors every breathless hike, every chilly swim, every preposterously pretty train ride.—
Alice Gregory,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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