1
as in choked
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in muted
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in strangled
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifled
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 buried
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 smothered
Pableaux Johnson, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
The smothered steak biscuit is available to order in-store and online through January 2026, a Bojangles spokesperson told CharlotteFive.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
Indulge in a half-lobster smothered in miso butter, served over housemade noodles in a rich miso broth with all the fixings (like corn and namaru).
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
As a person traveling alone, I was checked on frequently, but discreetly—I was attended to, but not smothered.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Charbroiled oysters, covered and smothered in butter and parmesan.
—Torrey Hart, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
These smothered pork chops provide big flavor with minimal cleanup.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
The potential for that was uncertain as heavy snow smothered local streets.
—Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal, 25 Jan. 2026
And in Chang's brave and patriotic mother, readers may also perceive a broader metaphor for China writ large, a country that has been smothered and surveilled by a resurgent party state under its top leader, Xi Jinping.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 13 Jan. 2026
But a big-money move to European giant Barcelona smothered him in weighty expectations and he was hamstrung with a plethora of injuries.
—Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Robust, malty, and melt-in-your-mouth tender, this smothered cabbage recipe will warm your soul and delight your tastebuds.
—Pableaux Johnson, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
The smothered steak biscuit is available to order in-store and online through January 2026, a Bojangles spokesperson told CharlotteFive.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
Vater says more aggressive weeds can be smothered out by adding four to six inches of wood chips on top of the cardboard.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
Indulge in a half-lobster smothered in miso butter, served over housemade noodles in a rich miso broth with all the fixings (like corn and namaru).
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
As a person traveling alone, I was checked on frequently, but discreetly—I was attended to, but not smothered.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Charbroiled oysters, covered and smothered in butter and parmesan.
—Torrey Hart, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
These smothered pork chops provide big flavor with minimal cleanup.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
The potential for that was uncertain as heavy snow smothered local streets.
—Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal, 25 Jan. 2026
And in Chang's brave and patriotic mother, readers may also perceive a broader metaphor for China writ large, a country that has been smothered and surveilled by a resurgent party state under its top leader, Xi Jinping.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 13 Jan. 2026
But a big-money move to European giant Barcelona smothered him in weighty expectations and he was hamstrung with a plethora of injuries.
—Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothered
Adjective
-
After years of muted activity at the midseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas kickstarted a flurry of activity Tuesday — first cementing a three-team trade to acquire Jaden Ivey from Detroit, then offloading Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Recreate the look in a similar muted color scheme, like allover cloudy white, or play around with vivid color combinations like Miami teal and head-to-toe pinks.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hanlon was out hiking when Hall assaulted and strangled her to death.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Podedworna also alleges that her late partner had threatened to kill her and strangled her just two weeks before her death, the BBC and The Independent reported.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Impressive defense from Vanderbilt stifled A&M's shooters and forced 11 Aggie turnovers.—
American Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
She feels stifled when she can’t be trusted to do things on her own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Only one body was identified by a family, while the others were buried on Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
This drill bit was not buried under sand waiting for an archaeological expedition.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Crackle, fizz, pop, extinguished.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
With all these no-shows this year, shouldn’t City Hall reach out in the spirit of bipartisanship and extend an invite to the extinguished solon Tran?—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Bangladesh’s woes have not improved much since Hasina’s ouster, with high inflation and a weak taka currency combining to erode real incomes for ordinary households.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Pinterest posted disappointing fourth-quarter results and gave weak guidance for first-quarter sales.—
Liz Napolitano,Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Three years after the incident involving Cordell, a prisoner claimed he was assaulted, choked and Tazed by Hadder while on day release for a family reunion at a Waffle House.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Kenya choked under the dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi, who ruled from 1978 to 2002.—
Binaifer Nowrojee,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched two missiles and 183 drones into the country overnight, of which 156 drones were shot down or suppressed.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Congress was sidelined, independent media was suppressed, and opponents were detained, all under a veneer of legal authority.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothered. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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