1
as in to stifle
to keep from being publicly known
the government tried to suppress the truth about that incident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The lawsuit details how the plaintiffs' jobs were threatened or fired, their speech suppressed, and their safety jeopardized.
—
Mikayla Price, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
By suppressing energy losses and improving how high-energy photons are handled, the system addresses one of the core inefficiencies in solar conversion.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
Purslane As a ground cover, purslane (Portulaca oleraceav) suppresses other weeds, helps retain moisture in the soil, and controls erosion.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Blue Light Isn’t Actually the Main Problem The popular explanation — that blue light suppresses melatonin and throws off your circadian clock — is real but incomplete.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suppress
Mikayla Price, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
By suppressing energy losses and improving how high-energy photons are handled, the system addresses one of the core inefficiencies in solar conversion.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
Purslane As a ground cover, purslane (Portulaca oleraceav) suppresses other weeds, helps retain moisture in the soil, and controls erosion.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Blue Light Isn’t Actually the Main Problem The popular explanation — that blue light suppresses melatonin and throws off your circadian clock — is real but incomplete.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suppress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suppress
Verb
-
But the California School Boards Association staunchly opposed that legislation, arguing the bill stifled local decision-making.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Setting aside the fact that these same people have done everything within their power to stifle regulation, this is self-evidently true.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That the Sabres couldn’t live up to the hype this season despite having a top 10 starting goalie performance is a tough pill to swallow.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
And in rain, the muddy dirt roads threaten to swallow your car.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The September 2025 order cleared the way for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resume broad sweeps in Los Angeles, halting a lower court ruling that restricted ICE's practices.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Qatar, a major supplier of liquified natural gas, has halted its exports, natural gas fields in Iran have become a frequent target of Israeli airstrikes, key gas shipping routes have been closed off, and prices in Europe are rocketing up.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What could not be as easily quelled were the puns.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The manifesto will also do little to quell claims of party connections to Russia.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Corey Elliott concealed his face leaving federal court in Boston on Tuesday after he was arrested on dogfighting charges.—
Juli McDonald,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The Army’s policy at the time of the crash mandated that its helicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The BBC‘s executive complaints unit (ECU) has ruled that failing to censor the N-word during the BAFTAs broadcast in February was indeed a breach of editorial standards, according to Variety.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post were among those that printed the word; others censored it with asterisks or dashes.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Under state law, persons named in such a report can ask a judge to repress certain parts, or all, of it.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Reforms often required strong executive power, largely at the expense of social stability and democratic legitimacy; protests against the IMF’s programs left scores dead as authorities repressed dissent.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Quiet Maryam and mercurial Farhan—eight years apart—had often squabbled, gone through periods of not talking, but without her sister as a foil, Maryam was diminished.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The result, of course, is that both nations are diminished.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suppress. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
