stifle

verb

ˈstī-fəl How to pronounce stifle (audio)
Definition of stiflenext
1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air unfortunately, the robbers were stifled when they got trapped in the airless bank vault

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering stifled a yawn

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to muffle
to deaden the sound of he stifled a cough with his hand

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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 stifle The weather served up truly stifling heat, including a stretch of highs in the mid-90s, and a few days of air quality emergency due to wildfire smoke drifting across the upper Midwest. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 But his administration’s recent moves to stifle legal immigration of foreign skilled workers leave his support – and the industry’s workforce – in question. — Laina Gustafson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026 The worm, however impossible to miss, is shoved, bumped, and pushed around with everyone else in the stifling subway car. — Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 As for whether the report helps prompt change or becomes yet another weighty academic doorstop, that remains to be seen at City Hall, where entrenched political power often combines with bureaucratic inertia to stifle innovation. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
  1. strangle
  2. suppress
  3. muffle
  4. choke
  5. swallow
  6. smother
  7. repress
  8. suffocate
Verb
  • Michael MacIvor was hit in the back of the head with a blunt object and kicked in the midsection before being strangled.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Wandering further afield, Wright recounts the case of Walker Railey, a Methodist minister accused of strangling his wife and leaving her in a vegetative state.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of strangle
Verb
  • By failing to suppress a Democratic campaign ad about the scandal, the Republican Party is only calling more attention to the misuse of $10 million meant for Florida’s Medicaid program.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Critics say the changes could suppress overseas turnout; volunteers have responded with VoteBnB, matching voters with rides and places to stay near polling stations.
    — Branimir Pipal, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • The sullen tribute to Payne settled the room into a cool near-silence, punctured by quiet gasps and muffled crying.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
  • After two hours of practice, with the 10-foot-tall fences doing little to muffle the bullhorn orders and corresponding groans, the huddle broke and the personalities sprung to life.
    — Noah White, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of muffle
Verb
  • Finally, Europe needs the ability to retaliate when China or the United States threatens to choke it.
    — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But the real culprit is his failing Iran war, which has choked supply from the Middle East.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • There is no answer to be found in this story, no magic pill, pleasingly round, to be halved or crushed, then swallowed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Even more so in Bates’ home of Aroostook County, which swallows some 6,700 square miles way up near the Canadian border.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of swallow
Verb
  • The Bucs have so far smothered the Panthers' offense and evidence of that was Al-Quadin Muhammad's strip-sack of Carolina quarterback Bryce Young.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But crisp tortilla layers arrived smothered with vegan cheddar and fresh, vine-ripe tomatoes.
    — Amanda Eyre Ward, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of smother
Verb
  • But overall, no matter what happens in the elections, Israel will continue to repress the Palestinians and strike its enemies.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
  • There has also been a steady rise in governments repressing people outside of their borders.
    — Mary Lind, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of repress
Verb
  • Stokes finished with a personal 2026 postseason-best 13 points to go with eight rebounds, three blocks and suffocating defense on Dream star Angel Reese, who was held to seven points on 2-for-8 shooting.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The segment ends with Homer suffocating Kodos with a pillow — this after the military blows up the heads of dozens of aliens.
    — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of suffocate

Browse Nearby Words

stiffs
stifle
stifled
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Cite this Entry

“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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