1
as in silencing
to keep from being publicly known
the government tried to suppress the truth about that incident
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifling
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 halting
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 quelling
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 concealing
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
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Recent Examples of suppressing
The nerves that Landfair had been suppressing only show as the interview winds down, letting out a relieved and shaky breath after answering the last question.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026
Outside the cell, the ATP is converted into adenosine, which acts on neurons — in this case, by exciting neurons that inhibit swimming and suppressing swim neurons.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026
Over time, suppressing your needs, emotions, and inner truth can erode self-trust and self-worth—both of which are foundational to mental health.
—Gabrielle Kassel, SELF, 29 Jan. 2026
Systems optimized for early performance are, by definition, mechanisms for suppressing everything that develops on a longer fuse.
—Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Simon is trying to blend in while suppressing his secret power to bend and manipulate ionic energy while Trevor's true purpose for acting in Wonder Man isn't just about rehabilitating his image.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Al-Maliki’s government increasingly excluded Sunni Arabs from political life, including barring nine parties and over 450 candidates from running in the 2010 parliamentary elections, overseeing the arrests of prominent Sunni politicians by security forces, and suppressing peaceful protests.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Is grief, guilt, or shame suppressing your willpower?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Opioids kill by suppressing the drive to breathe.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026
Outside the cell, the ATP is converted into adenosine, which acts on neurons — in this case, by exciting neurons that inhibit swimming and suppressing swim neurons.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026
Over time, suppressing your needs, emotions, and inner truth can erode self-trust and self-worth—both of which are foundational to mental health.
—Gabrielle Kassel, SELF, 29 Jan. 2026
Systems optimized for early performance are, by definition, mechanisms for suppressing everything that develops on a longer fuse.
—Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Simon is trying to blend in while suppressing his secret power to bend and manipulate ionic energy while Trevor's true purpose for acting in Wonder Man isn't just about rehabilitating his image.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Al-Maliki’s government increasingly excluded Sunni Arabs from political life, including barring nine parties and over 450 candidates from running in the 2010 parliamentary elections, overseeing the arrests of prominent Sunni politicians by security forces, and suppressing peaceful protests.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Is grief, guilt, or shame suppressing your willpower?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Opioids kill by suppressing the drive to breathe.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suppressing
Verb
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But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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On Sunday, Alnylam, the gene-silencing company that notched one gigantic accomplishment after another over the past five years, set out a plan for the next five years built on yet more innovation and growth.—
Matthew Herper,
STAT,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Arc’teryx base layers hit the trifecta—we’re partial to the Rho line, which use the brand’s Torrent stretch fleece for light (never stifling) warmth and plenty of stretch.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
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The Blue Devils got 10 points from Patrick Ngongba and used a stifling defense to limit Texas to 32% shooting and force 16 turnovers.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In another scathing ruling from Chicago, US District Court Judge April Perry – a Biden nominee – granted a temporary restraining order halting troop deployment into Illinois for two weeks in October.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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The National Council for Adoption estimates the latest restrictions are halting the cases of more than 1,000 children in over 40 countries.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a statement broadcast by state TV, a security force known for quelling unrest accused terrorists of targeting military and law enforcement bases over the past two nights.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
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This potency can be a good thing for quelling inflammation—but also calls for caution.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Chalamet styled his pants over the boots, with the hem concealing the shaft, so that only the orange vamp and the outer rubber sole were visible.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
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On Monday, a jury found Townsend guilty of endangerment and concealing a homicide, but the murderer is still out there.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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People talk about referees swallowing their whistles in the closing seconds of a one-point game.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
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His belittling boasts about swallowing Canada helped drive our nicest neighbor into the arms of China.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From there, steamboats of diminishing sizes could make their way up the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri rivers and smaller ones like the Tennessee, Arkansas and even the Wabash.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
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Which wouldn’t be such a bad outcome for most documentary films — arguably moviedom’s most beleaguered genre due to diminishing audience appetite at the multiplex level.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Multiple officers were involved in subduing Guity and placing him in handcuffs, police said.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
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As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suppressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suppressing. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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