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
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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
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Recent Examples of smother
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 June 2025
The Thunder are looking to smother Tyrese Haliburton and this high-flying Pacers offense.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
At Ponty Bistro, the lamb had a nice char on the outside, and, like the poisson yassa, was smothered in sauce.
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
In the Season 2 finale, audiences had watched Georgia smother Tom Fuller (Vincent Legault) to death as a terrified Austin looked on from the closet, so her guilt was never up for debate.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 June 2025
The Thunder are looking to smother Tyrese Haliburton and this high-flying Pacers offense.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Noun
Everyone in Cincinnati is suffering in the smothering heat and humidity this week.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
At Ponty Bistro, the lamb had a nice char on the outside, and, like the poisson yassa, was smothered in sauce.
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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Menzies was convicted of the 1986 murder of 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker, a married mother of three who was kidnapped, robbed, strangled, and found tied to a tree with her throat slit.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Most of the victims were strangled or asphyxiated, and Gacy buried 26 of the bodies in the crawl space beneath his home; others were found in Chicago waterways, per NPR.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
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While luck will favor some and stifle others, here are a few tips on how join the first group: Be Loyal: Elite status with an airline can work wonders.—
Paula Conway,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Leave behind New York’s stifling policies and discover a state where your ambition can soar.—
Mike Dunleavy,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Visualizations, correlation maps and plain-language summaries must be built into the interface—not buried in logs or reserved for advanced users.—
Karthik Sj,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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The incident happened on the outskirts of northwestern Goodyear, where a man was buried with dirt inside a trench at a construction site in a developing neighborhood, which led to a rescue operation that went on until the man's body was found the next morning.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The second and third floors contain five more bedrooms, along with a library, an office, multiple wet bars, and bathrooms outfitted with steam showers and soaking tubs.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
30 July 2025
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As well as an indoor swimming pool, there is a series of hydrotherapy pools, a snow fountain, hammam, steam room, sauna and tepidarium.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
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The District Attorney’s Office also said that in the year before her death, Brendan Doyle choked his mother in order to force her to write him two checks totaling $1,000.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 July 2025
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Trying to dislodge it, the rostrum punched through the gills, impaling the animal, dragging it down and slowly choking it to death.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Sandra Lynn Hemme filed the suit Thursday, which accuses investigators of fabricating evidence, coercing a false confession and suppressing evidence that could have proven her innocence.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
25 July 2025
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Past research, Jansen notes, has found that cannabis can suppress the immune system through its active compounds: CBD, THC and other minor cannabinoids.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Verb
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The Austin district relied heavily on contractors to overcome its chronic backlog of evaluation requests.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The grassy mantle was dying, exposing the earth, and dust clouds began to sweep across the runways.—
Fabio Morábito,
New Yorker,
24 July 2025
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Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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