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
Their underlying pitch has become familiar in the past few years: Health experts can’t be trusted; the pharmaceutical industry is suppressing cheap cures; and patients deserve the liberty to choose their own medical interventions.
—
Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025
By observation, this option seems to suppress less common punctuation marks such as the square and curly brackets.
—PC Magazine, 17 June 2025
After suppressing most of Iran’s air defenses, Israel sent older fighter jets, including F-15s and F-16s, to join the operation and began dropping JDAMs and SPICE bombs—relatively inexpensive compared to missiles—on an expanding list of military sites, some of them within the heart of Tehran.
—Nik Popli, Time, 17 June 2025
In his motion to dismiss Bragg’s case, Mangione’s lawyers argued his statements to officers after his arrest should be suppressed because he wasn’t informed of his rights, which the DA’s office contests.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for suppress
Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025
By observation, this option seems to suppress less common punctuation marks such as the square and curly brackets.
—PC Magazine, 17 June 2025
After suppressing most of Iran’s air defenses, Israel sent older fighter jets, including F-15s and F-16s, to join the operation and began dropping JDAMs and SPICE bombs—relatively inexpensive compared to missiles—on an expanding list of military sites, some of them within the heart of Tehran.
—Nik Popli, Time, 17 June 2025
In his motion to dismiss Bragg’s case, Mangione’s lawyers argued his statements to officers after his arrest should be suppressed because he wasn’t informed of his rights, which the DA’s office contests.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for suppress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suppress
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Trump sent 700 Marines Tuesday to help National Guard troops stifle protest violence and damage, according to the Los Angeles Times.—
Abby Pender,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2025
-
Real Madrid’s new era under Xabi Alonso began with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal, the teams’ Club World Cup opener played out in stifling heat in Miami.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Did the striper swallow it back far enough that a circle hook will grab?—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
19 June 2025
-
All eight of the current relievers in Chicago's bullpen have ERAs under 4.00 There is no easy option and no matter who is chosen, the pill will be a tough one to swallow for whichever reliever is demoted or released.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
However, Lucas’ poor first touch allows Caicedo to halt the attack.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Burroughs temporarily had halted the government’s action hours after Harvard sued.—
Sara Braun,
Fortune,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell defended his department’s handling of recent protests, saying officers acted appropriately to quell unrest — pushing back against criticism about aggressive crowd control tactics used during demonstrations against President Trump’s immigration crackdown.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
-
President Donald Trump just announced a ceasefire between the Middle Eastern countries—potentially quelling oil market fears of Iran’s plans to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway to global oil trade.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Many of the individuals, including some concealing their faces with masks and hoods, appeared to be filming the cruiser with cell phones.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2025
-
Kate goes to extreme measures to conceal her daughter’s crime, preparing her with an ironclad alibi and dumping the dead body into a nearby lake.—
Francesca Gariano,
People.com,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
And yet, the regime clings to its authoritarian script: shutting down the internet, censoring its news.—
Nazanin Boniadi,
Time,
17 June 2025
-
Political critique was generally censored, and at one point depictions of the theater world were even banned.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
President Xi and the Chinese government brutally repress free expression and commit countless human rights violations.—
Jovante Teague,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2025
-
Trump is openly envious of oil-rich Gulf States and the leaders who luxuriate in opulent grandeur, while free to repress anyone in their countries who complains about all that.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
And the chaos does gradually diminish, like a pot of stock boiled down to a sauce.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
26 June 2025
-
But all this trouble didn’t diminish his affection.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suppress. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share