suppress

Definition of suppressnext
1
2
as in to swallow
to refrain from openly showing or uttering he managed to suppress a scream at the sight of the dead mouse suppressed her anger

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to halt
to hold back the normal growth of pruning helps suppress buds at the ends of developed branches and encourages new growth elsewhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5

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 suppress Trump hasn’t used the act – which has only been invoked a handful of times in recent decades to suppress rioting – in either of his terms, but Walz expressed concern Wednesday that Minneapolis could be the tipping point if people protesting the shooting become violent. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026 The nominee pool might have been limited by the residency requirement, and this is not the first Supreme Court vacancy where that rule appears to have suppressed applications. Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026 Iranian authorities have responded by deploying numerous security forces, imposing internet blackouts and enforcing curfews in some areas in an effort to suppress the unrest. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026 Advertisement The Epstein case is yet another reminder of how power can both obscure harm and suppress the voices of survivors. Mónica Ramírez, Time, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suppress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suppress
Verb
  • But for as stifled as Portola’s shooting was in the fourth, Woodbridge also struggled – connecting on only three field goals.
    Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The Texans stifled the Steelers rushing attack and harassed Aaron Rodgers so extensively — sacking him four times, hitting him 12 times — that the future Hall of Fame quarterback scarcely had time to wait for plays to develop and repeatedly dumped the ball off for short gains.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Both are on a mission, handing out flyers for Luis’ missing daughter, Mar, swallowed by the seemingly endless nomadic rave culture.
    Robert Lang, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Despite its charm, it hasn’t been swallowed by the tourist surge that defines nearby Lake Tahoe.
    Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • On Wednesday, a federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order to halt the operations.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 16 Jan. 2026
  • One was a sense of the evils of narcotrafficking; Petro recited a litany of statistics about Colombia’s efforts to halt drug smuggling.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This time, a more emboldened administration appears to be betting that both fear and a show of force will be enough to quell a movement that has become fragmented and disillusioned through the years.
    Paola Ramos, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Neiman Marcus in Fort Worth To quell her anxiety about Ainsley leaving the nest, Angela arranges for some retail therapy at a Neiman Marcus.
    Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • For the white men, the experience of prison was the veil that now concealed them, rendering them strangers and exiles from the world outside.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Glam was striking, amped up even with half of her face concealed.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Chinese social media users criticized two key government policies, rare signs of public dissent in the country where the internet is heavily censored.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Dec. 2025
  • The Plough and the Stars was, in the end, never censored by the government.
    Talya Zax, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, officials engaged in a vicious crusade to repress whoever dared challenge the outcome.
    Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
  • His name has been associated with police operations carried out in the context of protests, detentions, and crowd-control actions executed by the PNB, a force that since its creation has played a central role in repressing political dissent.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Still seething after a sloppy 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions, Johnson wasn’t hiding his dissatisfaction with a defeat that seemed to diminish his team’s momentum.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Kaufman moved there 30 years ago, and since that time the island’s community has diminished by degrees, its youth lured away by better employment prospects in Provo and overseas.
    Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Suppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suppress. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

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