1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
children should never play inside discarded appliances because they could become trapped and smother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bury
to defeat by a large margin
the soccer team smothered their first few opponents in the championships, but lost narrowly in the final round
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 smother
Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Later, Trevor climbs on top of Tony to smother him in kisses, followed by an adorable scene in the kitchen where Trevor lies atop Tony once again.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Lisa S. Gardiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024
Vargas thwarted Argentina again, making a diving save to smother Nicolás González’s one-timer.
—Steven Goff, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for smother 
Verb
But can that smothering play hold up against playoff Patrick Mahomes (who had his best performance of the season in Week 17)?
—Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Later, Trevor climbs on top of Tony to smother him in kisses, followed by an adorable scene in the kitchen where Trevor lies atop Tony once again.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
Dark and rotund with spines radiating in all directions, some as long as knitting needles, the urchins eat massive amounts of algae that would otherwise smother corals or prevent coral larvae from affixing to rocks and growing into colonies.
—Lisa S. Gardiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024
Vargas thwarted Argentina again, making a diving save to smother Nicolás González’s one-timer.
—Steven Goff, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
-
Police say Ceja-Ramirez was found strangled, with her body partially burned.—
Liam Quinn,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Putin is strangling his own nation with inflation approaching Weimar Germany’s collapse.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
TIME,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Anunoby and Bridges use their length and versatility to stifle ball movement and lock down primary scorers, while Hart relentlessly hunts 50/50 balls.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
28 Jan. 2025
-
In addition to the expansive damage to homes that can drive deep, costly repairs, extreme weather events like these also cause catastrophic damage to minority communities’ basic infrastructure and functionality, stifling local commerce, transportation, and access to healthcare.—
Jerel Ezell,
TIME,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Lane said her family plans to bury Campos next to his father in Queens, New York.—
Chris Kenning,
USA TODAY,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Humans may easily trigger avalanches large enough to bury or injure a person.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Reese’s has grown accustomed to running in the Super Bowl on its own steam.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Behind closed doors, the Nuñez speculation has been picking up steam.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
In the nearly 12-minute video, Coram, who was dressed in a hospital gown and socks, choked himself with a seat belt wrapped around his neck while the car was moving.—
Janelle Griffith,
NBC News,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Authorities said Smith also tried to choke the officer, who used pepper spray to force the inmate to retreat into his cell.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Demographers have found little, if any, evidence that EWIs harm or suppress the employment or wages of local people.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
26 Jan. 2025
-
To keep shooting, Pasha must suppress his rage and only dares to carry out small protests — such as playing the U.S. national anthem sung by Lady Gaga — but those are enough to earn him suspicion.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
When this stress overcomes the strength of the rock to create a fault, or the friction along existing fault planes, the ground slips—releasing waves of energy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The Chiefs couldn’t overcome losses to tight end Travis Kelce, who left the game at the end of the second quarter with a concussion, and defensive lineman Chris Jones, who left the game on the first drive of the third quarter with a knee injury.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
This break in the clouds can be seen all over Portland.—
Tony Perrottet,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Jan. 2025
-
At a time when photos, movie tickets and messages all live in the cloud, junk journaling creates a tactile record of one’s experiences.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
25 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near smother
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share