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
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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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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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stifle
Ed Towns, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
But any interference with shipments passing through the area could impact the global oil market by stifling supplies, according to experts.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 23 June 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
Property tax policy, zoning, land use rules, and environmental review requirements all stifle new construction.
—Ed Towns, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
But any interference with shipments passing through the area could impact the global oil market by stifling supplies, according to experts.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 23 June 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
-
The figure surpasses that of the closest rival, China, which had 317 companies represented.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
10 July 2025
-
But a closer read shows the linguistic dance that big companies are engaged in.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
And with the team operating under the suffocating grip of new CBA, every dollar must work overtime.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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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
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
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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 17 Jul. 2025.
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