Synonyms of suppress

suppress

verb

sə-ˈpres 

1

as in to stifle

to keep from being publicly known

the government tried to suppress the truth about that incident

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stifle
• censor
• cover (up)
• silence
• hush (up)
• quash
• throttle
• repress
• muzzle
• burke
• squelch
• strangle
• squash
• smother
• gag
• spike
• black out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reveal
• expose
• uncover
• unmask
• disclose
• tell
• show up
• divulge
• debunk
• spill
• unveil
• publish
• spread
• circulate
• uncloak
• broadcast
• relate
• describe
• report
• blab
• recite
• narrate
• recount
• rehearse

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

• stifle
• swallow
• repress
• contain
• smother
• control
• choke (back)
• manage
• hold back
• strangle
• submerge
• quash
• quell
• pocket
• govern
• curb
• sink
• check
• muffle
• squelch
• bridle
• bottle up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• express
• release
• take out
• unleash
• vent
• loose

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

• halt
• diminish
• stop
• shrink
• block
• catch
• stay
• impede
• stem
• stall
• obstruct
• stunt
• dwarf
• check
• arrest
• hold back
• hold up
• still
• balk
• downsize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• promote
• encourage
• forward
• advance
• foster
• boost
• nurture
• nourish

4

as in to quell

to put a stop to (something) by the use of force

nothing could suppress the rising tide of protest against the dictator's latest injustices

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quell
• subdue
• repress
• quash
• stifle
• squelch
• destroy
• crush
• overcome
• silence
• extinguish
• sit on
• crack down (on)
• squash
• snuff (out)
• clamp down (on)
• slap down
• put down
• quench
• demolish
• throttle
• obliterate
• smother
• decimate
• dominate
• ruin
• annihilate
• douse
• exterminate
• strangle
• subjugate
• wipe out
• put out
• overwhelm
• conquer
• vanquish
• overpower
• devastate
• wreck
• desolate
• smash
• waste
• dowse
• nuke
• rub out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• help
• assist
• support
• aid
• back
• provoke
• stir
• promote
• encourage
• abet
• incite
• forward
• prop up
• cultivate
• foster
• advance
• foment
• instigate
• further
• nurture
• whip (up)
• nourish

5

as in to conceal

to keep secret or shut off from view

the defense attorney is openly accusing the prosecutor of attempting to suppress vital evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conceal
• hide
• obscure
• cover
• disguise
• mask
• cloak
• blot out
• veil
• overshadow
• curtain
• block
• bury
• occult
• belie
• paper over
• blanket
• screen
• smother
• enshroud
• shroud
• camouflage
• obstruct
• cover (up)
• occlude
• darken
• whitewash
• gloss (over)
• gild
• shade
• eclipse
• varnish
• becloud
• overcast
• cloud
• bedim
• befog

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• show
• disclose
• reveal
• expose
• display
• uncover
• divulge
• present
• unveil
• bare
• unmask
• bring out
• clarify
• uncloak
• illuminate
• publish
• advertise
• spread
• proclaim
• publicize
• get out
• broadcast
• air

Examples of suppress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Georgian Dream has been castigating local NGOs and media outlets for years, and unscrupulous politicians are now liable to wield the new law as a weapon to further suppress public criticism and discourage NGOs from seeking financial support abroad. —Maxim Krupskiy, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2024

Stop companies from masking bad reviews or creating fake ones The FTC has also proposed a rule that would ban marketers from deceptive review practices, including suppressing honest negative reviews and propping up fake positive reviews. —Nerdwallet, The Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2024

Bloomberg SkyWest Airlines faces a federal lawsuit for allegedly having a fake company union that doesn’t follow through on its legal duties and suppresses workers’ support of other organizing efforts. —Byemma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2024

After drinking coffee, participants had higher levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that, among other things, can suppress appetite, and lower levels of the hunger-inducing hormone ghrelin. —Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2024