suppressed; suppressing; suppresses
1
: to put down by authority or force : subdue
suppress a riot
2
: to keep from public knowledge: such as
a
: to keep secret
b
: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of
suppress the test results
3
a
: to exclude from consciousness
b
: to keep from giving vent to : check
suppressed her anger
4
obsolete
: to press down
5
a
: to restrain from a usual course or action
suppress a cough
b
: to inhibit the growth or development of
6
: to inhibit the genetic expression of
suppress a mutation
Examples of suppress in a Sentence
Political dissent was brutally suppressed.
The governor tried to suppress the news.
He struggled to suppress his feelings of jealousy.
She could not suppress her anger.
I had to suppress an urge to tell him what I really thought.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dramatic currents, once suppressed, here bloom unashamed.
—
Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
El Niño also tends to increase disruptive wind shear over the tropical Atlantic, often suppressing hurricane activity.
—David Yeomans, CBS News, 19 May 2026
What can weaken El Niño’s storm-suppressing benefits Even during El Niño years, other climate drivers can offset its suppressing effects for hurricanes, climate change being one of them.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suppress
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
El Niño also tends to increase disruptive wind shear over the tropical Atlantic, often suppressing hurricane activity.
—David Yeomans, CBS News, 19 May 2026
What can weaken El Niño’s storm-suppressing benefits Even during El Niño years, other climate drivers can offset its suppressing effects for hurricanes, climate change being one of them.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suppress
Cite this Entry
“Suppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suppress. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suppress
verb
sup·press
sə-ˈpres 
1
: to put down by authority or force
suppress a rebellion
2
a
: to keep from being known
tried to suppress the news
b
: to stop the publication or distribution of
suppressed the test results
3
: to hold back : repress
suppress feelings of jealousy
suppressed a cough
4
: to slow or stop the growth or development of : stunt
Medical Definition
suppress
transitive verb
sup·press
sə-ˈpres
1
: to exclude from consciousness
suppressed anxiety
2
: to restrain from a usual course or action
suppress a cough
3
: inhibit sense 2
suppresses the human immune response—Josie Glausiusz
Josie Glausiusz
especially
: to inhibit the genetic expression of
suppress a mutation
Legal Definition
suppress
transitive verb
sup·press
sə-ˈpres
1
: to put down by authority or force
2
a
: to keep secret
b
: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of
3
a
: to exclude (illegally obtained evidence) from use at trial
suppress narcotics found in violation of the right against unreasonable search and seizure
b
: to fail to disclose (material evidence favorable to a defendant) in violation of due process
accused the prosecution of suppressing evidence
compare brady material
: to suppress evidence
suppressible
adjective
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